The Universe
by Djinn Slashfen
Summary: **CH. 12 UP! DANCE!!** The highly-anticipated (sorta) sequel to The World, a lot of angst. *YAOI*
1. Prologue

theuniverse_pr

The Universe  
Prologue  
By Djinn Hashiba-Maxwell  
  
****Djinn:Lessee... Tou/Seij, Ryo/Shin, Ryo/Tou-ISH, Ryo/Nasutei-ISH (Ryo's a huge slut, basically) and uhm methinks mebe Nasutei/Shuu-ISH, we'll see how things go. Btw, don't have a heart attack or anything, but while Touma and Seiji are in this fic, I don't focus on them. *Djinn hears ppl gasping and fainting* Yeah, I know, I'm shocked too. But *arrgh!* I'm having a Ryo/Shin phase. Sue me.  
  
****Nai: Hey, there's nothing wrong with that!! Go sue someone else.  
  
****Kaiya: Hii!!! Remember us? We're the uber-dykes from The World!   
  
****Nai: Yep, and because ppl said they liked us, we're back for the sequel! (see, it's your own fault!)   
  
****Kaiya: Yeah, you said it, koibito! Oh, except you're in Tokyo for most of the story, so get lost.   
  
****Nai: NANI??   
  
****Kaiya: Ya heard me. (bat eyelashes) I'M the one that everyone loves, not you! (Djinn even lets me call Touma 'Touma-CHAN ' in this one!)  
  
****Nai: Hey, you aren't that great!! Behind every successful woman is a huge dyke!!   
  
****Kaiya: *giggles* Nope, ya got it confused! Every successful woman IS a huge dyke!!   
  
****Djinn: Uhm, as omnipotent author, I order you two lesbos to shut up or I'll send you both to Siberia. (crickets chirping) Oh, btw, Kaiya has a last name now!! It's Rairakku, which means lilac. I was going to make her name mean lily, but it turns out that the Japanese word for lily is that same as their word for lesbianism! (and that just wouldn't have been right...) Now, on with the story!!  
  
*~*~*

Touma paused, shoving the basketball under his arm while he used the hem of his shirt to wipe beads of sweat from his brow. The action exposed a large expanse of pale skin with beads of sweat sparking on his flesh. Seiji's mouth momentarily went dry.   
  
"You're doing that on purpose." He accused. Touma smirked and threw the ball at him, hitting him in the stomach.   
  
"Stop making excuses and play the game." He said.

"It's not an excuse! You ARE doing it on purpose, aren't you?" The blonde demanded. Touma's smirk just widened.   
  
"Maybe. I'm winning, aren't I?" He responded.   
  
"You're incorrigible."   
  
"I thought that was why you loved me." Touma teased back, batting his eyelashes.   
  
"I may love you, but I'm going to kick your ass this time." Seiji responded.   
  
"We'll see."   
  
Neither was aware of a pair of tiger-blue eyes that watched them play. Ryo stood at the window of his room on the second floor, leaning against the windowsill, his chin resting in his palm. His mouth too went a bit dry and he unconsciously licked his lips at the vision of Touma in a gray tank that clung to his skin with sweat. Gods, did he know, did he have the slightest clue how damn sexy he was without even half trying?   
  
"Who's winning?" A voice behind him asked coolly, and Ryo turned slightly to face the red-haired girl.   
  
"Touma, I assume. He's better at basketball." Ryo replied as Nasutei crossed the room to lean over him and look out the window.   
  
"Looks like a draw to me." She commented, and when Ryo followed her gaze her saw the archer and the swordsman locked together, Touma's hands at the small of Seiji's back and Seiji's fingers twisted into blue strands, their mouths locked hungrily together. The basketball was rolling down court, forgotten. Ryo felt a now-familiar twist in his stomach, like a knife being driven deep into him. He turned his gaze from the window quickly, squeezing his eyes closed for a second. "Does it really bother you that much?"   
  
He blinked at Nasutei. "Wha-what?" he asked.   
  
"I mean, I know you were surprised that they were together but... it doesn't bother you THAT much, does it? They're still your friends." The redheaded girl ploughed on.   
  
Thank god for misinterpretations. After the scene he'd made when he'd found out, everyone had assumed he was freaked by Touma and Seiji's relationship. They assumed that he thought it was strange and unnatural.   
  
'Jealousy' had never even been hinted at.   
  
Lucky lucky him. He could continue to stubbornly suffer in silence.   
  
"No, it doesn't bother me. Just not used to it yet is all." He shrugged in response, his lies entirely too believable.   
  
Nasutei positioned herself on the windowsill, a little too close for comfort. "You sure?" She asked, concerned.   
  
"Yes, I'm sure." Ryo replied, trying to keep the harsh annoyance out of his voice.   
  
Nasutei nodded slightly and stood. "Well, then do stop staring." She said, with a only half-joking smile. "And don't be a recluse, ne? I was beginning to forget what you looked like." She sauntered over to the door, swinging her hips in unconscious half-circles as she walked. "Dinner will be in half an hour, shall I set a place for you?"   
  
He opened his mouth to ask if Seiji and Touma would be joining them tonight, but bit it back. Still, Nasutei seemed to know his intent just the same.   
  
"Touma's going out to dinner with a friend tonight. Seiji will be joining him." She replied. She cocked her head, waiting to see if this were a good or bad thing.   
  
Ryo swallowed. "Go ahead and set me a place, I'll be down." He said dryly.   
  
When he looked back to the driveway, the two boys were gone, and all that remained where they had stood was an orange basketball. Rya had to swallow back the combination of hurt and jealously that rushed over him as he considered where they might have gotten off to.   
  
"Someone get the door!!" Nasutei yelled from the kitchen, and Ryo was forced to oblige since Shuu was wrapped up in the playstation game he was working on. The door opened to reveal a small, violet-haired girl with more piercings than any person should reasonably possess. She smiled broadly at the look of unmitigated surprise he cast on her.   
  
"Hiya. Is Touma here?" She asked with a heavy, unrecognizable accent.   
  
"Uh... yeah." Ryo replied, gesturing her in.   
  
"Tenkyu." She responded with a grin. "Oh, I'm Rairakku Kaiya, and you are?" She held out a hand which he took uncertainly.   
  
"Sanada Ryo." He replied.   
  
"Good ta meetcha! So, you're one of Touma-chan's housemates, ne? I've heard lots about ya. More than I care ta know, really." She said with a smile. "Particularly about Touma-chan's koibito, ya know? But they do look cute together, so I guess I gotta be happy for my tomodachi."   
  
"You REALLY need to stop rambling." Touma said from the stairs. "God, I'm three seconds late and I find you talking Ryo's ear off."   
  
Kaiya grinned broadly and winked at the blue-haired boy. "Hey, I thought that was why ya loved me Touma-chan!"   
  
"Who ever said I LOVED you, Kaiya, hmm?" he replied with an equally broad smile.   
  
"Ah, ya don't have ta say it. I know ya do." She dismissed. She glanced briefly at the watch hidden among her bracelets. "Where's your koi? We're gonna be late. I even made reservations and if he makes us late..."  
  
"I'm not going to make us late." Seiji said, coming down the stairs, buttoning the cuffs of the pure white oxford he wore. "Why are you cutting things so close, anyway?"   
  
"Hey! Don't try ta put this on me! You're the one who always spends half an hour on his hair!" She shot back.   
  
It was Touma who managed to get the violet-haired girl out of the door, and Seiji followed her. The blue-haired boy looked over his shoulder one more time before closing the door, to see Ryo behind him. He smiled slightly, just a small, sincere smile that made Ryo wish that he could pull the other boy into his arms as he was sure Seiji would.   
  
"Don't wait up." Touma said with a slight laugh, and the door closed between them.   
  
He didn't hear the warrior of Rekka breathe his name, so softly that even to the speaker it sounded only like a touch of wind.   
  
*~*~*  
  
**Djinn**: Er… is it any good? Please tell me so that I can get the inspiration to continue…  
  
****Nai: And if she doesn't continue, you may never see me again!!!!!   
  
****Kaiya: And suddenly that's a bad thing?   
  
****Nai: Why, you!! *attacks*  
  
****Shuu: Ooooh, girl fight!   
  
****Djinn: Grr… ALL RIGHT YOU TWO, BACK IN YOUR BOX!! Sorry about that…


	2. A Few Meaningless Dreams

The Universe - Chapter One

The Universe  
Chapter One - A Few Meaningless Dreams  
By Djinn Hashiba-Maxwell  
  
****Djinn:Hiya!! Chapter One is now finished. No long commentary on this one, but it's good, really!! Oh, and you know how the summary says 'Ryo angst'… actually, I've thought about it, and in reality EVERYONE is miserable in this fic!! ^__^ It's more fun that way (even Kaiya is upset later!)  
  
*~*~*

__

I wish I knew.   
  
_As much as I wish anything, I wish I knew why it has to be someone else he cares about. I just want to understand why everyone else is permitted their little bit of happiness and mine is denied me. For I know that he is the only thing that can make me happy. And yet he doesn't even look at me. To him we are family, we can never be lovers. I can't believe that after so long I have only just realized this._   
_  
I don't begrudge him his love. Love is something that one cannot control, I know that entirely too well. But why can't I even tell him of mine?_   
  
_Because we're both cowards, I suppose._   
  
_He can't tell Touma, and I can't tell him._   
  
_God, Ryo… why did it have to be you?_   
  
*~*~*  
  
It was so very rare that Ryo would actually come down and eat dinner with the rest of them these days. Usually around that time of day he'd disappear off on him bike, not returning until long after everyone was asleep. But tonight here he was, sitting in his usual spot beside Nasutei, his smile somewhat strained but generally sincere.   
  
"I don't think you've been eating enough. Do you think he's gotten skinnier, Shin?" Nasutei asked, and the other redhead nodded.   
  
"Definitely. Do you think we need to fatten him up?"   
  
Shuu raised an eyebrow. "What, we planning to eat him now?"   
  
Nasutei giggled at that. "Why not? He does look just DELICIOUS."   
  
"Certainly good enough to eat." Shin put in.   
  
Ryo rolled his eyes. "I'm sitting right here, guys."   
  
"Ah, the sleeper awakens." Nasutei said grandly. "And here I thought we could continue talking about you in third person." She turned to Shuu. "Not only is he HERE, but he's CONSCIOUS. It must be my birthday."   
  
"…I haven't been THAT bad, have I?" Ryo questioned, honestly concerned.   
  
Instead of answering, Nasutei just smiled. "We forgive you."   
  
*~*~*  
  
_Why?   
  
Why do I bother trying for you? You never even notice, wrapped up in your own thoughts. A few times I've wondered - in the most fleeting way - if those thoughts ever concern me.   
  
But they don't.   
  
You see, that's how sad I am. That I can't even dream that they do, not even in the most abstract way. Why? Because I know you so well, too well. I know that there is no way that a sad little someone like me could ever be hidden in the mysteries behind those tiger-blue eyes.   
  
I don't deserve it.   
  
Does he? Does he deserve you?  
  
_*~*~*  
  
Ryo looked up from the TV when the front door slammed shut. The clock confirmed that it was a little past midnight; he was surprised that they were this late, or that he himself was still awake. He waited patiently for his two friends to come tramping through the living room door.   
  
They were taking too long, he thought uncomfortably.   
  
There was a good reason for that, it turned out. It takes considerably longer to get from point A to point B when your lips are locked with someone else's, and you can't take two steps without tripping over each other. Apparently Tenku and Kourin had believed themselves to be returning to an empty house, for surely they wouldn't have engaged in such behavior if then knew anyone was awake…  
  
Ryo wanted to call attention to himself, let them know he was there. He truly did. But how do you politely tell two of your best friends to stop groping each other right in front of you? 'Hey, leave some room for the Holy Spirit!' Yeah, right, like that would work…  
  
So he remained shut in shocked silence as the went right upstairs, never parting lips, without even noting his presence.   
  
Ryo let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. Damn, of all the things he DIDN'T want to see, that had to be pretty damn high on the list.   
  
*~*~*  
  
Nasutei awoke at the sound of the front door slamming. On reflex she stood and went to the window, just in time to see the taillights of Ryo's sport bike blaze off into the night. She pressed her palm up against the cold glass of the window, as if the motion could somehow stop him where he stood. But all it did was make her cold and she pulled the drapes closed, blocking out the faint light of the moon.   
  
"Damn you, Rekka." She growled to herself as she padded over the carpet back to her bed. She pulled down the sheets and climbed under them once more, pulling them up to her chin though she really wasn't cold. But the warmth, the heat… strange as it sounded it reminded her of him.   
  
_Yes, run… run away. That's what your good at, isn't it? When something goes wrong you disappear. But next time… at least take me with you_.

"Well," she whispered to herself in peculiar half-sleep, "what kind of tragic heroine would I be without a few meaningless dreams, after all?"   
  
*~*~*  
  
Elsewhere in the house, another figure watched the bike drive off. The green-blue eyes the color of the sea were distant and almost unseeing as they watched the two lights disappear into the darkness of the trees, finally even the glow gone down the twisting mountain road.   
  
"It wasn't supposed to be this way, Ryo." He whispered to nothing and no one. In fact he wasn't even quite sure what he was even saying. WHAT wasn't supposed to be this way? Life? But no one can say how life is supposed to turn out. And then more words were coming, almost as if of their own will. "You can't have them, Ryo. I don't know who you want but I can tell that whomever it is, you can't have them. So why… why can't you just settle for someone else? Some one who loves you?"   
  
_…someone like me…_  
  
"Another dream?" Shin murmured to himself with a sad smile. "Yes, just another hopeless dream… I can help everyone else get what they want, but I can't have what I want more than anything…"  
  
"How is that fair?"   
  
*~*~*  
  
**Djinn**: Yes, it's brief, but so was my inspiration, so be satisfied with that. I still don't know where I'm going with this, either. Cross your fingers.


	3. What Lips My Lips Have Kissed

The Universe - Chapter Two

The Universe  
Chapter Two - What Lips My Lips Have Kissed  
By Djinn Hashiba-Maxwell  
  
**Djinn**:Hiya!! Chapter Two!! Relena (aka Wildfire's Flame go and read her stuff NOW) gave me some ideas that I just GOTTA play around with... *evil grynn* Be afraid... be very afraid...  
  
*~*~*  
  
_What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why,   
I have forgotten, and what arms have lain  
Under my head till morning; but the rain  
Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh  
Upon the glass and listen for reply,   
And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain  
For unremembered lads that not again  
Will turn to me at midnight with a cry.   
Thus in the winter stand the lonely tree,  
Nor knows which birds have vanished one by one,  
Yet knows it's boughs more silent than before:  
I cannot say what loves have come and gone,  
I only know that summer sang in me  
A little while, that in me sings no more.  
  
~*~ "What Lips My Lips Have Kissed, and Where, and Why" ~*~  
~*~ Edna St. Vincent Millay ~*~  
  
*~*~*_

"Oh yeah so who was that boy who answered the door when I came yesterday?"   
  
"Who, Ryo?"   
  
"How should I know, that's why I'm asking you!"   
  
"Yeah, it was Ryo."   
  
"Yeah, what was that look he was givin' you, huh?"   
  
On his end of the connection Touma blinked and paused for a second. "...What are you talking about, Kaiya?"  
  
Kaiya rolled her eyes, though the expression was wasted over the phone, and snorted. "Oh don't EVEN play sweet and innocent wit' me, Touma-chan. You live with the guy, and I'm gonna assume on an off guess that this was not a solitary occurrence, so dish. What's up? You playin' the field?"  
  
"No!" Touma exclaimed, loudly enough that Shin turned from the stove to raise an eyebrow at him where he sat, sprawled out over one of the dining room chairs. Quieter, he continued, "Don't be silly, Kaiya. I love Seiji."  
  
"Oh, you and your Seiji-chan! Come on, there's got to be SOMETHING wrong with that boy, why won't you ever admit it?"  
  
"Oh get real. You're jealousy is sooooo transparent." Touma responded.  
  
Just then Nasutei's Head popped into the room. "Touma! You're such a GIRL! You went out to dinner with Kaiya last night, you don't need to talk to her now! I need to get online!"   
  
Touma rolled his eyes slightly. "Hear that? That's the warden. She's says that visiting hours are done."   
  
"Cop ouuuuuut!" Kaiya accused.   
  
"Bye Kaiya-chan." Touma said sweetly, and then hung up before she could say another word. But the seeds had been planted; Kaiya's suggestions made a little too much sense. In fact his found himself wondering why he hadn't noticed before. And there was something else...   
  
When Ryo had found out about him and Seiji, when he'd run off, when Touma had followed him, he'd said something peculiar.   
  
_"Then I never had a chance."_  
  
*~*~*  
  
"Hey Ryo."   
  
Rekka jumped nearly three feet in the air before turning sharply. "Geezus, Touma! Don't sneak up on me like that!"   
  
Touma snickered but politely tried to disguise it as a cough. "Er... yeah sorry. Listen, can you give me a ride into town?"   
  
Ryo blinked. "Uhm... why?"   
  
Touma rolled his eyes. "Because I'm bored, why else. You don't have anything better to do, do you?" He looked hopeful and Ryo felt himself melting easily under that cerulean gaze. _God I am really pathetic._  
  
"Sure, I'll give you a ride." He said, hoping that the tremble he heard in his voice was imagined. In any case, Touma gave no indication that heard had heard any such thing. "But, uh... why didn't you ask Seiji to drive you?" He asked only because he had to know. It wasn't as if he didn't LIKE the idea of Touma on the back of his bike... pressed against him... breath against his neck... ye gods, if he wasn't careful he was going to have to take a cold shower before they left.   
  
Touma cocked his head at Ryo, raising an eyebrow in an entirely too cute expression. _Gods does he have the slightest idea what he is doing to me..._ "I don't have to spend ALL my time with Seiji, you know." Touma commented dryly. "I mean, you're my best friend but lord knows I get sick of YOU sometimes."   
  
Ryo laughed at that, trying not to make it sound as forced as it was. The world was against him; he couldn't even have his hopes, when they arose something - or usually someONE - would remind him just what he was to Touma.   
  
Best friend. Gods, that hurt.   
  
"Well, you wanna go now?" Ryo said quickly, not knowing how long he had been silent and hoping that it hadn't been long.   
  
"Yeah. Now is good." Touma said with a sharp nod. "Hey ya know what? If you don't have to be home at any special time, we could go to this club I know." Touma said, following the other boy out into the garage, where Ryo's bike was stored. Ryo tossed him the extra helmet as he nodded.   
  
"I've got nothing planned. That might be nice." He consented. The smile Touma gave him in response made his heart jump into his throat.   
  
"Great! This'll be fun. I was so bored in this house." He swung himself onto the bike behind Ryo, arms locking instinctively around Rekka's waist, the flat muscles of his abdomen pressed against Ryo's lower back. The black-haired boy gulped. _I hope I haven't gotten in over my head…_  
  
*~*~*  
  
"Right there." Touma said against his ear, pointing over to a small building on the corner. It didn't look like much.   
  
"THIS is your favorite club?" Ryo asked dubiously. Touma smacked the side of his helmet with a laugh.   
  
"Hey! You've never been inside, it's got serious ambiance!" He replied as Ryo pulled the bike to a stop. He pulled off his helmet and shook out his black hair as Touma did likewise.   
  
"Er… yeah, if you say so…" Ryo said, raising an eyebrow curiously.   
  
Touma didn't respond to that, except by grabbing Ryo by the wrist and pulling him towards the doors. There was a bouncer at the door, but Touma just smiled and waved and the broad-shouldered man said nothing as they slipped inside. Ryo wondered briefly at the ease of entering - neither of them even LOOKED of age, after all - but once inside the loud music and flashing lights precluded complex thought.   
  
"Want a drink?" Touma yelled over the din, jerking his thumb at the bar. "It's a little quieter over there." He added.   
  
"Sounds good." Ryo yelled back, feeling a little uncomfortable. Touma seemed as at ease here as Shin in water but this was most assuredly not his sort of place. He was beginning to regret agreeing, but that thought was driven out of his head quite effectively when Touma's hand closed around his own as the blue-haired warrior led him to the bar.   
  
"Don't get lost!" Touma quipped with a bright smile.   
  
"R-right." Ryo stuttered, senses clouded by the innocent touch of Touma's hand around his. The touch was warm and produced little electric shocks of sensation that seemed to dance behind his eyes like stars. _Gods… if just holding his hand can do this, imagine what it would be like to kiss him… WAIT! Scratch that, don't imagine that, don't torture yourself…_  
  
"You okay?" Touma asked, concerned by the blank, daydream-y look in Ryo's eyes. The warrior of fire physically shook himself before replying.   
  
"Yeah. Fine." He said quickly. Then, "Actually I think I WOULD like a drink."   
  
Touma blinked, presumably in surprise, then shrugged. "Sure." He knocked his knuckles against the bar to get the tender's attention. "HEY! Two beers! Whatever's on draft is good." The barkeep nodded and soon two large mugs of beer were set in front of them. Touma motioned Ryo onto the stool beside him. "Come on, I won't bite…." a dirty grin. "…hard."   
  
Ryo gulped again. _Damn maybe this wasn't the best idea…_ He took a nice, long drink of the beer in front of him. For a novice drinker like him it was more than enough alcohol to get buzzed, which was exactly the idea. Her drained the mug in two such swallows And slammed it back against the counter, hard enough that Touma looked over at him in surprise with raised eyebrows in mid-sip. His lips were slightly parted and wet from the alcohol, the dim lights casting peculiar shadows over his face. _Oh SHIT look away NOW…_  
  
But he couldn't, he stared transfixed at Touma's slightly parted lips as if they held the meaning of life.  
  
"Ryo?" Touma called curiously, but the boy to whom he spoke didn't even hear him, and it was beginning to creep Tenku out just a little. "Uhm… Ryo? You wanna dance or something…?"  
  
He was never given the chance to say more as his leader, his best friend, cupped his hands around his face and pulled the archer's lips, slightly parted in mid-sentence, against his own in a crushing kiss.   
  
*~*~*  
  
**Djinn**: I'm being evil again. ^__^


	4. The Art of Loosing

The Universe - Chapter Three

The Universe  
Chapter Three - The Art of Loosing  
By Djinn Hashiba-Maxwell  
  
_*~*~*_

The art of loosing isn't hard to master;  
So many things seem filled with the intent   
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.  
  
Lose something everyday. Accept the fluster  
Of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.   
The art of loosing isn't hard to master.  
  
Then practice loosing farther, loosing faster:   
Places, names, and where it was you meant   
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.   
  
I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or  
next to last of three loved houses went.  
The art of loosing isn't hard to master.   
  
I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,   
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.  
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.   
  
--Even loosing you (the joking voice, a gesture  
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident  
the art of loosing isn't hard to master  
thought it may look like (Write _it!) like disaster._   
_  
~*~ "One Art" ~*~  
~*~ Elizabeth Bishop ~*~  
  
_*~*~*

Touma's hands, by mere instinct, went to Ryo's shoulders to steady himself while he tried to produce enough coherent thought there under the flashing phosphorescent lights to decided on a course of action. Okay, Ryo was kissing him. That much was certain. And damn but if he wasn't a good kisser... _shut up, brain! What have you done for me lately?_   
  
He pressed open palms against the other boy's shoulders, determined to break the kiss no matter WHAT his body was saying. There was a dark cloud of guilt hanging over his head even now, namely SEIJI. He pulled away, stumbling back a few steps, his hands finally finding his abandoned barstool and using it for support to hold himself up. He felt a little dazed for a second (having your world flipped upside down will do that to you) and shook his head, attempting to clear it.   
  
"Uhm..." He said, blinking stupidly at Ryo.   
  
Ryo just stared back at him, the look on his face saying that he had NO idea what had just happened, either. The blank look almost made Touma want to laugh.   
  
Almost.   
  
He wanted to be angry. He wanted to haul off and hit him across the room and ask him what the HELL he thought he was doing, but he couldn't. If it had been anyone else maybe he would've but Ryo was his friend, his best friend. What do you say when your best friend kisses you? Seems 'what the f*ck' was the most logical option, and that was what he muttered under his breath.   
  
"Er..." Oh good, it seemed that Ryo was going to attempt an explanation. Well, this should prove interesting. Touma pulled himself onto the stool and crossed his arms, raising a curious eyebrow but saying nothing. "Uhm... I'm sorry." Touma mentally winced in sympathy. _Strike one!! _Oooh, bad start. Care to try another one? "I, uh.. I shouldn't have done that." Thank you Captain Obvious. _Strike two!! _Still, not bad for a second try. Do you want to plough on, or are you giving up?   
  
"Touma... I think I'm in love with you."  
  
_It's going... going... gone!_ Oh sh*t. Why did he have to go and say that? Of all things he could've said, why not 'I think I'm drunk' or 'I don't have a clue why the hell I did that'? Why did he have to go off and say he LOVED him?  
  
_Dear god why me?_   
  
Touma wracked his brain for an appropriate response. 'F*ck off' didn't work because this was his friend. 'I love you too' was equally unacceptable because, while he did love Ryo _as a friend, as a friend!_, he was with Seiji and he wouldn't give that up for anything. Finally he settled on the only thing he could say that would not result in things getting more f*cked up then they already were.   
  
"Let's go home, okay Ryo?"   
  
*~*~*  
  
Nasutei was in the kitchen when the door slammed closed and Touma came walking in. Actually, TRUDGING was a more accurate word. Like a man being led to the gallows. She stepped to the kitchen door and opened her mouth to ask where he had been, but stopped dead at the look on his face.   
  
Confusion. Panic. Pain. Guilt. Other things, too, emotions she didn't recognize and couldn't fathom. Even though they weren't directed at her, not even in her general direction, they shocked her into silence.   
  
She stepped back into the kitchen, mind spinning. Ooooookaaay…. exactly WHAT the hell happened to him?   
  
The door slammed again, more footsteps came from the front hall. A tread and gait she could recognize by sound alone, so long had she sat and concentrated on every detail of the man that owned it. And then suddenly she understood the feelings that had been playing on Touma's face.   
  
That was what one looked like when the world changed around you.   
  
Touma and Ryo had gone out together, she understood that much. And while she could be accused of being wrapped up in her work she was observant enough to recognize the looks that Ryo had cast at the archer. She'd wondered once or twice, Seiji or Touma? But it was clear. Too clear. So clear that she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed before.   
  
Ryo wanted Touma. Gods… pain… she stumbled, finding a chair and collapsing into it with a little exhale, a soft 'humph' sound in the silent room. _on't cry, Nas. You never expected him to love you._ She assured herself. Of course, that didn't make it feel any better.   
  
"Nasutei?" Another familiar voice. Dear gods she couldn't been seen like this, yet is was too late. "Nasti? Are you okay?"   
  
She rubbed fretfully at tears that she hadn't even known were on her cheeks. "Shuu. I'm… I'm fine." She said. It didn't even SOUND like the truth, but it was the best she could do. She's never been a good actress to begin with. She looked up to meet eyes laden with concern, and she had to choke back a bitter laugh.   
  
_For me? Since when do I deserve sympathy?_   
  
"I'm fine Shuu, really." She said, sounding a little more believably this time, though the tears on her cheeks spoke for themselves.   
  
"You don't LOOK fine." Shuu said, cocking his head. Ooh, insightful. Tell me another one, oh great guru of Kengo.   
  
"I said I'm FINE, Shuu." Nasutei said, more firmly, in her 'do-not-question-me-you-mere-mortal' voice. Usually that was enough to send the boys running, but Shuu was not just another one of the boys, and he was worried about her.   
  
"I REALLY believe you, Nasti." He said, rolling his eyes. "Honestly, I believe every word. You could lie to the pope."   
  
Despite herself, Nasutei let out a sad, choked giggle. That was one of the things she loved about Shuu; he had the God-given ability to make her laugh, no matter what happened. Oddly enough, it was also one of the things about him that bugged the hell out of her.   
  
"So you wanna tell me what's wrong now?" He asked. Then, comically flexing his muscles, he asked, "Or do I have to beat it out of you?"   
  
Another giggle. Damn him, he was winning. "Shuu, stop." She giggled lightly. "I… uhm…"  
  
He slid into a chair across from her, raising his eyebrows as an indication for her to continue. Unfortunately, she hadn't the slightest idea how to explain to him that the futility of falling for the tiger-eyed bearer of Rekka had finally hit her. Or how she could explain that without telling Shuu that yet another of his friends had a thing for Touma. _It's like a comedy. "There's Something About Touma."_   
  
"Hey Shuu, have you ever been in love?" That seemed as good a place to start as any.   
  
The look of surprise on Shuu's face told her that wasn't precisely the response he had anticipated. "Er… yeah, I guess." He responded uncertainly, as if trying to gauge what she intended to do with the information.   
  
"Well did it work out for you?" She continued.   
  
He paused again, and his voice was rarely serious when he replied. "I don't know yet." He said simply.   
  
Nasutei blinked. She was about to ask WHO, but then decided that she didn't really want to know. Fer christssakes, it might even be TOUMA. "Well, I KNOW that mine won't work out." She said somberly, before burying her face in her arms. "And that's what's wrong. Just please don't ask anything more, Shuu."   
  
She was surprised when Shuu heeded her request. She heard the scrape of his chair against the floor as he stood, head his heavy gait walk around towards the doorway. But he paused.   
  
"For now," He said, "I'll let it go. But Nasti… whoever is making you feel this way, I'll kick their ass."


	5. Untitled

The Universe - Chapter Four

The Universe  
Chapter Four - Untitled   
  
*~*~*

Touma's hand was frozen over the handle of the door. One twist and he'd be safe in his room, THEIR room, easily folded into his lover's arms. Seiji would never know, would never have to know that half an hour ago his lips had been locked with Ryo's. He could simply lie.   
  
To Seiji?   
  
Gods, the very thought made him sick to his stomach. He could no more lie to Seiji than he could make the stars fall. He quickly pulled his hand back as if the handle might burn him and stumbled back a step. He couldn't face him. Gods, just not right now. He turned and almost fell down the stairs. Away... he had to get away...  
  
He paused at the foot of the stairs. He'd had this problem before; no car. But that was remedied if he was willing to 'borrow' Nasutei's jeep. After a moment of reflection he realized that he was, and slipped towards the kitchen. Nasutei sat at the table but her face was buried in her arms, so he was relatively safe. He leaned into the door just enough to slid the keyring off it's hook. All she heard was a slight jingle, and by the time she looked up he was already gone.   
  
*~*~*  
  
Kaiya opened the door and then leaned against the frame with a raised eyebrow. "So I wondered how long before you'd be showin' up here." She commented idly. "I was at Acropolis tonight. Lovely show you and lover-boy were putting on up by the bar."   
  
Touma just ran a hand through his hair. "Whatever. Are you going to let me in or what?"   
  
Kaiya crooked the eyebrow higher, an innate talent of hers, and realized that Touma wasn't in the mood for her particular brand of sarcasm tonight. "Yeah. Get your skinny ass in here."   
  
Touma muttered a thanks as he slid past her into the three-room apartment. It was as eclectic as the girl herself, done in mostly shades of red and blue. Red was Kaiya's favorite color; blue was evidence of Nai's presence. Kaiya assessed him quickly. Blue hair damp - was it raining? - the black leather jacket he normally wore sliding down off on shoulder unchecked, and an utterly lost look on his face.   
  
She crinkled her nose. Damn it. Why would anyone come to her when they obviously needed sympathy?   
  
"Jacket." She said, holding out a hand for the wet garment around his shoulders. When he made no motion to remove it she came up behind him and all but took it off for him. He made no movement or sound to stop her, just ran his long fingers through his damp hair again. Kaiya considered her options. "Soooo... ya want a beer?"   
  
"That..." he flopped down on the couch, "...would just about make my day, Kaiya. Thanks."   
  
Her stockinged feet thumped against the carpeted floor as she tromped into the kitchenette and bottles clinked together as she rummaged through the refrigerator. "What's with all this 'light' sh*t... I've told Nai not to put this crap in my fridge... ah, here we go!" She pulled out two long necked bottles and slammed the refrigerator closed with her hip and headed back into the living room, dropping onto the couch beside Touma. "So, let's hear the whole story."   
  
Touma took a long swig from the bottle. "Let's not and say we did, ne?"   
  
Kaiya rolled her eyes. "Oh, so I'm just supposed to let it go, ne?"   
  
"That would be preferable." He agreed.   
  
Kaiya sighed, and then glanced surreptitiously at her watch. "Whatev'ah. It's time for me ta check in with Nai. Make yourself at home." She stood. "Not that I thought you would do any less." She stretched, cat-like, and then padded once more into the kitchen.   
  
The number she dialed was no that of her girlfriend's hotel in Tokyo. It was to somewhere much closer. She tapped her night-black fingernails against the countertop impatiently as the other end of the line rang once... twice...  
  
"Hello?" She didn't recognize the voice, but often she got strange people picking up the phone at this number.   
  
"Yah, can ya put Seiji on the phone?" She asked quickly, and there was a moment of rustling and a muttered call of 'Seiji, there's a girl on the phone for you!' before the boy she'd asked for actually appeared on the other end.   
  
"Seiji here." He said, calm and precise (as always). Kaiya sighed to herself.   
  
"Look, blonde boy, I want ya ta be straight with me. What the HELL did you say to my Touma-chan to send him running over to my place in the pouring rain, huh?" She snapped, soft enough only so that Touma couldn't hear her in the next room.   
  
"What are you talking about?" Seiji sounded honestly confused. "Touma's over there? I haven't seen him since this morning. He ran off in Nasutei's jeep about half an hour ago."   
  
There was a pause. Kaiya blinked. "F'real?"   
  
"Yes for real. Touma is over there?" There was some exclamations of 'who are you talking to?' and 'where?' in the background at that statement, and Kaiya worried her lip, over an old scar that had once been the location of a silver hoop.   
  
"Er yeah." She paused. "Well in that case, listen. I think ya better come over here. Ya know where my apartment is, right? Just DON'T bring nona your friends, 'kay?"   
  
Seiji seemed to think about that. "Yes, all right. I'll be right over."   
  
Kaiya hung up and flipped her violet hair out of her eyes. Hmm, now's the predicament, to tell Touma or not to tell Touma. It would be easier on her just to let Seiji in when he showed up and sneak out before her blue-haired friend knew what was going on, but that wouldn't be nice… and besides, Kaiya was of the firm opinion that running away solved nothing (hence inviting Seiji over in the first place).   
  
"I was just talking to your koibito." Kaiya said, up front. Touma jumped up off the couch.   
  
"NANI?"   
  
"And he's coming over here to talk to you, and you are going to sit right down there and explain everything to him, including why you came over here, ya get me?" She continued.   
  
"Kuso, Kaiya! Why…"  
  
"I'm your friend, remember?" She said, tilting her head. "I get the right to meddle in your life when meddling is required. Now sit down and drink your beer 'til your koishi gets here." With a hand on his dampened tee-shirt she pushed the protesting Trooper back down on the couch. At the defeated frown he shot her she smirked. "Hey, you wanna fight?" She mocked, before heading back to the kitchen for another beer.   
  
*~*~*  
  
Seiji had only been to Kaiya's apartment once before, and even then he'd never been inside. Touma he knew had gone there quite frequently when he'd got sick of dealing with the lack of privacy at Nasutei's. Seiji didn't actually know how Touma had met Kaiya; he'd assumed that it was at Acropolis but he'd never thought to ask. He knocked on the door, feeling just a little out of place.   
  
It opened almost immediately, and Seiji almost didn't recognize the girl with no makeup on and no silver rings through various parts of her face. The only familiar thing was the purple hair. He blinked, she looked completely different this way.   
  
"Stop staring." She demanded. "I know I'm gorgeous but you're queer as a three-dollar-bill, speaking of which Touma's inside and I'll leave you two alone." She slipped past him into the hall. "Try not to make a mess." She added with a wink, before she all but skipped down the hall to the elevator.   
  
Seiji watched after her for a second before slipping into the room and shutting the door behind him. The soft click was enough to alert the blue-haired boy to his presence, and he looked up from the beer bottle in his hand.   
  
"Uh… hi." Touma said uncertainly.   
  
Seiji shifted his weight from foot to foot at the less than enthusiastic greeting. "Kaiya seemed to think there was something we needed to talk about." He said.   
  
Touma gave a dry laugh and took another swig from the beer bottle. "Yeah… yeah." He agreed, shaking his head as if trying to clear it. "Yeah, we kinda need to talk."


	6. Never Can Tell

The Universe - Chapter Five

The Universe  
Chapter Five - Never Can Tell  
  
Author's Note: The poem I use in this chapter was written by my friend Caroline Williams and published in our school's literary magazine. Caroline is talented, ne? It's really long so I cut out a portion of it.  
  
*~*~*  
  
_I can't tell why I trust him as I do  
With all the innocence of a tender child  
I can't tell what made his eyes that perfect hue,  
Or why, when I kissed him, Aphrodite smiled.  
I can't tell why I long to be with him…  
  
…Though over and over again the answer I've sought  
I can't tell why, for I myself know not.  
  
~*~ Never Can Tell ~*~  
*~* Caroline Williams *~*  
_  
*~*~*

Ryo just sat on the couch, head leaned against one palm, eyes open but unseeing. Shin and Nasutei exchanged an uncertain glance. This… this was not healthy. Shuu probably would have thought something similar, if had not left some time ago to look for Touma.  
  
"Uhm… Ryo?" It was Shin who spoke, easily sliding his thin form onto the couch beside Rekka. "Do you uhm… happen to know why Touma ran off?"   
  
He turned to him slowly, blue eyes dull, and it took him a second to register his question. Even more slowly he shook his head. "…No. I don't know why he ran off." A pause. "Why would I?"   
  
"Oh." He said, looking once more to Nasutei for the briefest of moments. "No reason. I just thought that you might have an idea, since you were out with him earlier."   
  
"No." Ryo said. "I don't."   
  
It was at the comment that Nasutei jumped up out of her chair and veritably STOMPED across the room, leaning down over Ryo, causing him to shrink back into his seat. "How can you sit there and LIE like that, Ryo? Don't you have any shame?" She hissed. But this close, Ryo could see that the beginnings of tears shone in her eyes. "So just tell me. Tell US. WHAT exactly did you say to Touma that prompted him to just run off without telling anyone where he was going?"   
  
Ryo blinked up at her. Now really, how could he argue with that. "I…" He started, blushing the color of his armor, but Nasutei wasn't going to let him off just because he felt humiliated. She leaned fractionally closer, her voice softer but just as insistent.   
  
"You told him, didn't you?" She whispered knowing the answer long before Ryo ever nodded in agreement. The redheaded girl took a step back with a long, drawn out sigh, hanging her head weakly for long seconds before she finally looked up to him. "You're going to f*ck everything up, you know that?" She said. It was not an accusation. She was sympathetic. But that didn't make her words any less true.   
  
*~*~*  
  
Touma twisted the beer bottle between his two palms, the glass making a dull scraping noise against the wooden coffee table. It really unnerved Seiji to see Touma so uncertain. I mean, the archer was certainly not a poster boy for composure but whatever was on his mind was apparently especially difficult for him to deal with.   
  
"Touma." He laid a hand on the blue-haired boy's shoulder; the contact caused him to jump away in surprise. He flushed in embarrassment for the action.   
  
"Er… Seiji…" He tried, but then said no more.   
  
"Touma, you know that you can tell me anything, right?" Seiji prompted.   
  
Touma looked up, met his eyes for a second, then quickly looked away. "Hai. I know." He said softly.   
  
Seiji sighed in frustration. "Then Touma, please. Just tell me. Whatever it is I promise that it will not change anything."   
  
Touma let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Oh, don't be so certain of THAT." He murmured.   
  
"Touma, please just tell me." Seiji said, his voice getting a bit of an impatient edge.   
  
Touma took a deep breath, held it for a second, and then released it very slowly. He paused for a second when that was done, and then spoke very softly and very precisely. "I was bored so I got Ryo to take me into town on his bike. We ended up at Acropolis. I thought he might like it, thought we might get a few beers and a few good dances before we had to go home. You know, have a little fun."   
  
He paused and took a swig from the beer bottle in his hand, either to delay the explanation or because he wanted o get sincerely trashed, or maybe both.   
  
"Well, I wish that we'd had a couple more beers than we did, because then I'd be able to rationalize what he did next." He moved as if to drain the bottle, paused, thought better of it, and placed the beer back on the coffee table, before deciding that he wanted it after all and downing the rest in one draft.   
  
In other words, he was fidgeting horribly and didn't seem to be preparing to continue.   
  
"Maybe it'll be easier if you just tell me really fast, okay?" Seiji said. He really didn't like the way the story had been going.   
  
Touma snickered at that, and then glanced over at Seiji from under long blue bangs before directing his eyes back to the tabletop. "Well when you put it THAT way…" he said. "Uhm… I guess there's no polite euphemism even in my grandiose vocabulary so… ryokissedme."   
  
Seiji blinked, played it back in his head, grasping the meaning - he thought - the second time. He repeated it back slowly. "Ryo…" he paused, not wanting to say it in hopes he was wrong, yet plowing on diligently, "…kissed you?"   
  
Touma blinked, it sounded more ominous when Seiji said it in the dull, serious tone. In fact the entire situation suddenly struck him as so terribly ridiculous that he burst into laughter, burying his face in his knees, shaking with hiccuping giggles. The alcohol in his system probably didn't help matters. He nodded vehemently to Seiji's assertion of his own confession.   
  
The blank look on Seiji's face showed that he really hadn't the faintest idea how to deal with this information. Frankly he was more surprised that RYO had kissed Touma than he was angry or jealous that someone else had kissed his lover.   
  
He flopped down limply onto the couch, wrapping two arms around the archer's waist and pulling the still giggling warrior of Tenku over to him. Touma leaned his head against the swordsman's shoulder, the occasional giggle still slipping out.   
  
"So…" Seiji said, shaking his head slightly. "Uhm… is there any more beer around here?"   
  
Touma laugh, sounding a little less hysterical now, and nodded. "You kidding? This is Rairakku Kaiya's place!" He quipped, and then rose unsteadily to his feet, and took Seiji's hand when they went to search for more booze.   
  
*~*~*  
  
Kaiya recognized him, surprisingly, if only because he was short and stocky and not dressed like the average Acropolis patron. She glanced at him over a chilled glass of vodka, wondering why he was there before it occurred to her that he was obviously looking for her wayward, blue-haired friend.   
  
She considered her place in his plight. She knew the location of his quarry, however should she divulge that information, the boy in question would likely wish to seek him out, which was not a good thing. Touma-chan and Seiji needed a bit of time to themselves, without their friends around, to work this out, which was why Kaiya had offered them he apartment. She just hoped that the didn't get TOO involved in making up, as it would take weeks to get the weirdness out of her apartment.   
  
She put her now-empty glass back down on the counter and laid a bill beside it to pay for the drink. Hmm. Well. She supposed it was better for them to know that Touma was safe, and she didn't have to really be particularly clear on his specific location.   
  
"Hiya!!"   
  
He obviously didn't recognize her, which she found amusing as she was not what one would call easily forgettable. She was proud when the giggles she let out only sounded a little bit drunk.   
  
"Rairakku Kaiya." She said, thinking the name might trigger his memory. When he tilted his head as her in a confused manner she giggled again. "Touma-chan's friend! The dyke! I was over your place not two days ago!"   
  
Shuu blinked in surprise, and then suddenly exclaimed "Oh! YOU're Kaiya!"   
  
She giggled again. "So. You here for the music or for Touma-chan?"   
  
"He's here?" He asked hopefully.   
  
"Oh, not by a long shot." Kaiya said. "He's at my place with blonde boy. I ran down for a drink while those two had some quiet time 's all." She shrugged. "But I thought ya might be lookin' fer 'im. Well, no worries. I got him taken care of."   
  
Shuu did not seem particularly reassured by this assertion. "Where is he?"   
  
"Like I said, my place." She shrugged. "That's where he goes when he needs to get away from you guys."   
  
"Er…"  
  
"I just didn't want you to worry." She explained. "I'm not going to take you to my place or nuthin' so don't even bother, but he's all right, trust me, so why don't you run on home?" She was shooing him out the large double doors at the entrance to the club, and he was not putting up a whole lot of resistance.   
  
"But!" He started. She paused.   
  
"But what?" She inquired curiously, and he frowned, perplexed. He had obviously not expected her to actually listen to his protest.   
  
"Uhm…"  
  
"Oh yeah!" She smacked her forehead in remembrance. "Can you give a message to yer buddy Ryo for me?" She knew that she should keep her nose out of it but, damn it, she couldn't resist. "Tell that guy that I said if Seiji doesn't kick his ass, then I will. Thanks!" And she gave one last shove which sent him out of the doors and out of her hair. She turned back to the bar.


	7. Even As I Hold You

The Universe - Chapter Six

The Universe  
Chapter Six - Even as I Hold You  
  
This chapter is Nasutei angst… hence the poem. *disturbingly evil grynn*  
  
*~*~*  
_  
Even as I hold you  
I think of you as someone gone  
far, far away. Your eyes the color  
of pennies in a bowl of dark honey  
bringing sweet light to someone else  
your black hair slipping through my fingers  
is the flash of your head going   
around a corner  
your smile, breaking before me,  
the flippant last turn  
of a revolving door,  
emptying you out, changed,  
away from me.  
  
Even as I hold you  
I am letting go.   
  
*~* Even as I Hold You *~*  
~*~ Alice Walker ~*~  
  
_*~*~*

The knock on his door was timid, as if afraid to be rejected. Ryo turned slightly and considered whether or not to give whomever stood outside a word of entrance. Did he wasn't to talk to anybody? No. But would he likely end up talking to them anyway? Yes. He sighed. That was the thing about living in the same house with five of your closest friends - brooding was not tolerated.   
  
"Come in." He grumbled.   
  
Nasutei's head popped in, eyes dark and worried. "Why don't you turn a light on in here?" She asked, trying to make it sound like a joke, as she closed the door behind her.   
  
"I want it dark." He replied. It matched his mood.   
  
The light snapped on. "F*ck what you want."   
  
Ryo jumped. He had noticed a marked change in the girl in the past few days. She seemed… bitter? Angry? He couldn't describe it, but she definitely was not pleased with him. Frankly, he hadn't the slightest idea how to deal with Nasutei when she was angry, since it had never before happened on his watch. He blinked up at her in surprise. "Nasti, what's up?"   
  
"Shouldn't that be my question?" She replied grimly. "Now, I think that I want a complete explanation, from the beginning, of what's going on here. Okay?"   
  
The look on Ryo's face clearly showed that it was NOT okay.   
  
"Well, here's your options. Either you can tell me, or you can get the HELL out of my house. I will not have you moping around ruining our lives, you understand me! That is if you haven't ruined any lives already." Ryo knew it was an empty threat. Nasutei would never kick any of them out, they knew that, she knew they knew. But it was really the only bargaining chip she had, and if she was desperate enough to use it, then he supposed he'd better answer.   
  
"Touma was bored. He wanted to go to a club…"  
  
*~*~*  
  
It was past eleven when Shuu came back. He had wanted to go bother the violet-haired girl for more information, but had the distinct feeling that it wouldn't have done very much good. So instead he opted for returning home, trusting that Touma could take care of himself.   
  
Still he couldn't for the life of him figure out what she had meant by that comment about Ryo. What had he done to her? But he was too tired to worry about it right now. He just wanted to fall into bed…  
  
He noticed a head of long read hair draped over the arm of the couch. "Nasti?"   
  
Bleary, tear-stained green eyes looked up at him in surprise. "Shuu?" She asked, as if she didn't recognize him.   
  
Carefully he walked over and crouched beside the couch, eye level with the distraught girl. "Nasti? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"   
  
"Am I?" She asked, rubbing at the tear trails on her cheeks with the back of one hand as she sat up. "It's nothing Shuu. Don't worry about it."   
  
"You're no more believable now than you were before time, Nas. What's happened now? You were all right earlier."   
  
Slowly she curled her long, thin legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. "I know that I can't have him." She said in a harsh whisper. "So why does it keep bothering me?" She seemed as if she really wanted an answer out of him.   
  
"Who?" This Shuu desperately wanted to know. Who was Nasutei so in love with? She'd refused to confess that much before.   
  
But now she just sighed. "Ryo." It was a breathy whisper, so soft he had to strain to hear it.   
  
Shuu blinking in surprise. So this is what I feels like when you heart sinks into your stomach… but he swallowed bravely and ploughed on. "But why can't you be with Ryo?" He asked, not sure whether or not he actually WANTED the answer, but requiring it just the same.   
  
She cocked her head at him for a second, considering. "I can't have him… because he wants Touma."   
  
That was a little too much for Shuu. He flopped down onto the carpet, eyes distant. "You sure?" Then something occurred to him. "Guess that's why Kaiya…" he sighed. "God, is everyone in on this except me?"   
  
"I'm sorry… I should have told you before. You had a right no know." Nasutei said softly, but he shook his head.   
  
"No, it's all right." He smiled up at her brightly. "After all, I would have had to beat him up for making you cry."   
  
She giggled slightly at that, wiping away the last of her tears. "Well Shuu, I told you my secret, so who's the person YOU love, huh?"   
  
Shuu nearly jumped at the change of topic. "I, er…" he turned bright red, and Nasutei fretted at her bottom lip.   
  
"It… it isn't TOUMA, is it?" she asked, eyes wide, and at that Shuu had to laugh.   
  
"Gods no! Geez that'd be like… incest or something. I've known Touma since we were kids, he's like my brother." Nasutei breathed a sigh of relief at that.   
  
"Well then who?"   
  
He took a deep breath, and flashed her a good natured smile as he shook his head.   
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." And with that he stood. "But now I think it's time to get you into bed!"   
  
She sighed. "I'm too tired to go to bed."   
  
"Is that so?" And without further warning he swung her up into his powerful arms. She let out a small squeak and threw her arms around his neck.   
  
"Shuu…" She said in a warning tone.   
  
But he just flashed her a toothy grin and proceeded to carry her to bed.   
  
*~*~*  
  
"Kaiya!"   
  
The violet haired girl turned to see a blue haired boy waving to her from the club's entrance. She swished through the crowd to his side. She quickly noticed that Seiji was there with him, and that their hands were linked.   
  
"I see you two sorted everything out." She said, looking pointedly at their joined hands.   
  
Touma grinned and blushed, while Seiji just looked pleased.   
  
Impulsively the archer pulled her into a hug. "Hey, thanks for meddling in my life, kiddo. I owe ya one."   
  
She grinned and tugged none too gently on his forelock. "First of all, you're the kid, not me. And secondly, ya owe me way more than one by now. I gotta start keeping track."   
  
"We're going to go. I locked up on my way out." Touma said as the two turned for the door. Kaiya gave him a teasing swat on the backside.   
  
"Yeah, get out of here ya two lovebirds! And don't do anything I wouldn't do!"   
  
Touma paused and turned. "IS there anything you wouldn't do?"   
  
Kaiya just replied with a rude gesture and a giggle as the two boys left the club.


	8. Shitsuren

The Universe - Chapter Seven ****

The Universe  
Chapter Six - Shitsuren   
_(Unrequited or Lost Love)_

The poem is about one who does not think themselves worthy of love. Love says that nothing could make the speaker UNworthy. Erhm . . . it DOES fit if you think about it.   
  
Oh, and foggynite - yes, I go to a Catholic school. But the reason I love to use the phrase 'leave room for the holy spirit' is because I'm an atheist. ^_^ Ahh, the delicious irony . . .  
  
*~*~*  
_  
Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,   
Guilty of dust and sin.   
But quick-eyed Love, observing me go slack  
From my first entrance in,   
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning  
If I lacked anything.   
  
"A guest," I answered, "worthy to be here":  
Love said, "You shall be he."   
"I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,   
I cannot look on thee."   
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,   
"Who made the eyes but I?"   
  
"Truth, Lord, but I have marred them; let my shame  
Go where it doth deserve."   
"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"   
"My dear, then I will serve."   
"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."   
So I did sit and eat.  
  
*~* Love (III) *~*  
~*~ George Herbert ~*~  
  
_*~*~*

It was midnight. Shin knew that this wasn't the time. Ryo was probably long since asleep by now, and even if he wasn't he wouldn't be in the mood to talk. But for this sort of matter Ryo would likely never be in the mood to talk, so now was as good a time as any.  
  
The light was still on in Ryo's room, but that meant nothing. He could be deep asleep by now, and Shin wasn't sure that he had the heart to wake him.  
  
Ryo had been lucky enough to be allocated the only single room among the five of them. Not that any of them minded sharing, but there was something to be said for occasionally having your own space to retreat to. Still, in Shin's opinion, Ryo had been taking advantage of that particular luxury entirely too much lately. Even with his feelings about Seiji and Touma - be they confusion, which was the initial assessment, or jealousy, which Shin had come to realize was the true motivation - he had to talk to someone.  
  
_Oh, and you think that someone will be you?_  
  
A lot of people have inner conversations. Shin had just been having a lot more as of late.  
  
_Of course, why not me? Everyone tells me everything. Who was the first person to know that Seiji and Touma were together?  
  
Then why didn't you see THIS coming?_  
  
Shin didn't have an answer to that.  
  
He could pinpoint the exact moment that he'd fallen in love with Ryo. It had been a little over a year ago, on a cool autumn night much like this one. Touma had coaxed them all out to star-watch, and Shin had taken them to the waterfall out back. It was a place where the water moved so fast that it never froze, no matter how cold the weather may get. Touma shared Shin's childlike wonder at the setting there - it was far enough from the lights of the house and the dull illumination of the city that, on a clear night, it seemed like you could see forever. The stars twinkled above you and the water sang below you . . . it was surreal. Touma had breathed, scarcely above a whisper, _"So this is what heaven looks like."_  
  
It had been on that night, with Ryo sitting beside him, the fire warrior's face lit only with the ripples of starlight reflecting on the surface of the whispering water, that Shin had realized for the first time that something was missing from his life. And before another thought could cross he mind he realized that something was Ryo.   
  
The thought shocked him a little at first. He tried to write it off as gratitude, admiration. Ryo was their leader, he had saved all of them in one way or another. What he felt was a juvenile, pubescent crush, not a true romantic desire. That he could accept without worry, even though in the back of his mind he knew all along that it was a lie.  
  
He pushed open the door to Ryo's room cautiously. He fully planned to chicken out if Ryo was asleep, in fact he was hoping that he was. He let out a soft breath of air at the tangle of blankets on the bed inside. A ink spill of black hair poked out of the top, and the steady sound of breathing filled the room.  
  
Safe. Or . . .  
  
Ryo rolled over, fixing sapphire blue eyes on Shin. He blinked for a second, as if not recognizing him, and then sat up with a sigh.  
  
"Come on in." He said, shaking his head with a laugh. Shin opened his mouth to explain himself, but Ryo cut him off. "You don't have to say anything. I'll tell you the whole story." He let out something akin to one of Byakuen's growls. "Why the hell not, seems everyone else knows . . ."  
  
"I didn't come here to ask you about Touma." Shin said softly, standing awkwardly just inside the room. "I can guess what happened and I don't really need to know. I just . . ." He took a deep breath. He didn't know why he was here, really. He was so good at dolling out romantic advice to his friends, but place him in a similar situation and he floundered like anyone else. "Ryo I just wanted to know what you're going to do."  
  
Okay, that hadn't been what he had planned to say, but it worked well. He made a mental note to congratulate himself later.  
  
"Do?" Ryo asked in surprise. He swept his legs out over the side of his bed, putting his elbow on his knee and his chin in his hand in a classic thinker pose. "Honestly Shin, I would have expected a better question out of YOU of all people. I'll do what I CAN do . . . nothing." He scoffed. "And hope that Seiji doesn't beat the sh*t out of me."  
  
Shin decided it was distinctly unlikely that Ryo had anything to worry about from the blonde, but he didn't say as much. He took a deep breath and finally asked something that he really wanted to know.  
  
"What is it about Touma?"  
  
Ryo looked up at the warrior of Suiko in surprise. This was obviously not the question he had been expecting. "Nani?!"  
  
"I'm serious." Shin said. "I want to know. What is it about Touma that makes you feel this way about him?" _And whatever it is, why don't I have it?_  
  
Ryo ran fingers through his uncooperative hair, obviously giving the question some deep thought. Finally he lot out a long breath and shook his head. "What is it? I don't know. I guess I've kind of always felt this way . . . " There was another short pause, and then something seemed to occur to Ryo. "You know when it started? The youjakai . . . was it really that long ago? Everyone was gone, and I was so scared. And angry. I would have gone and gotten myself killed if it weren't for Touma . . ." A sigh. "He's just always been there . . . he's stable like Seiji without ever seeming cold. He always puts things in perspective. He . . ." Ryo looked up to Shin. "I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. Why does it matter? Touma's always been Touma."  
  
_And you've always been you . . ._  
  
The next admission came not from Ryo, but from Shin himself. It was harder than he could've imagined just to make his lips and tongue obey him. "Ryo, I . . . it's just . . ." he took a deep breath, trying to straighten out his muddled thoughts. "I just . . . I hoped . . ." He could do this. He COULD do this. "I hoped you might feel that way about me."  
  
Ryo blinked up at him, uncomprehending. "Nani?"  
  
Bravely Shin continued. "Would it be impossible for you to see me like that? As someone you could love?"  
  
Ryo shifted uncomfortably. "Well I . . . I do love you, Shin. I love all the guys. But . . ."  
  
It was definitely time for a retreat. "Forget it." Shin said, waving one hand as if trying to clear the question from the air. "Forget it, it's nothing. Forget I said anything. Good night, Ryo." He was gone before Ryo could reply.  
  
Ryo stared for a long moment and then collapsed back onto his bed with a wretched sigh. "Well, just when I thought things were about as f*cked up as they could possibly be . . ."  
  
He wouldn't be getting a lot of sleep that night.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Seiji and Touma returned home sometime later. No one was awake to note it.  
  
Despite the late night, Seiji was still up at his usual 6:30 time, calmly drinking a cup of green tea at the table when Shin came to downstairs to make breakfast. Shin almost jumped out of his skin, not expecting to see the blonde so early.  
  
"Morning." Seiji said politely.  
  
"Morning." Shin replied in surprise. "So . . . I trust everything turned out right?" Seiji shrugged as he took another sip of tea, and Shin knew that was a yes. He was relieved for two reasons. One was purely selfless - he wanted Seiji and Touma to be happy, and they wouldn't be without each other. The other was purely selfish. If Seiji and Touma were still together, there was absolutely no danger of Ryo getting with Touma. Not that that was much of a concern in the first place, but still . . .  
  
See? Even Shin could be selfish from time to time.  
  
Seiji finished off his tea and stretched as he stood. "I'm going out in the woods to meditate." A pause. "If Ryo gets up before I'm back, tell him that I want to talk to him."  
  
Shin scanned the sentence for malice and found none, though he couldn't be sure as Seiji was so good at masking his emotions. "All right. I'll tell him." He agreed, and Seiji nodded before slipping out the back door. Shin shook his head slightly and went about making breakfast.  


[][1][][2][][3][][4]

   [1]: theuniverse6.htm
   [2]: http://www.envy.nu/koutenmegami/fics/
   [3]: mailto:djinn_maxwell@tenku.zzn.com
   [4]: theuniverse8.htm



	9. A Poison Tree

The Universe - Chapter Eight ****

The Universe  
Chapter Eight - A Poison Tree  
  
With special and well-deserved thanks to Wildefyre, who's a hell of a gal. ^_~

  
  
__I was angry with my friend:  
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.  
I was angry with my foe:  
I told it not, my wrath did grow.  
  
And I water'd it in fears,  
Night & morning with my tears;  
And I sunnèd it with smiles,  
And with soft deceitful wiles.  
  
And it grew both day and night,  
Till it bore an apple bright;  
And my foe beheld it shine,  
And he knew that it was mine.  
  
And into the garden stole  
When the night had veil'd the pole;  
And in the morning, glad I see  
My foe outstretch'd beneath the tree.  
  
A Poison Tree   
William Blake   
  
  
  
"You uh . . . had something you wanted to say to me?"  
  
Seiji turned from the porch railing as if he had not been aware of Ryo's approach, though of course he had noticed every step the other boy took. The blonde had been waiting for quite some time, knowing that Ryo was doing anything possible to delay their 'discussion'. He would have been a tad nervous himself if her were in Ryo's shoes. He knew himself to be a bit intimidating if he so chose.  
  
"Relax, Ryo - I'm not mad at you."  
  
Ryo gave Seiji a skeptical look and for a second the violet eyes flashed something darker, like black.  
  
"Okay. I am mad at you."  
  
Ryo was at least glad to have that in the open, even though the admission did not bode well for him. He swallowed convulsively, shifting his weight from his right leg to his left, trying to gauge Seiji's mood from his expression. A lost cause.  
  
"In fact, I'm very mad at you. Furious. You knew that Touma and I were together, and then you went and did something like this. But Touma made me promise to be civil." He paused. "I'm sure you think that you have a good reason. I'm also sure that it isn't a good reason at all."  
  
"I'm in love with him." Ryo said suddenly, his voice barely making it above the tone of a whisper.  
  
"No." Seiji said firmly. "You aren't."  
  
"How would you know??" Ryo demanded. He could tolerate Seiji being pissed at him, and he had EXPECTED to get beat up, but he was not going to have Seiji presume to know how he felt about Touma. "You wouldn't know love if it bit you on the ass. I'll bet good money I care more about him than you!"  
  
"That is not true." Seiji said, obviously struggling to keep his cool.  
  
"Oh isn't it??" Ryo challenged. "You'll happily f*ck him but aside from that I've never seen you treat him any different than you ever have! You won't even so much as hold his hand in public! If I was in your place I'd be happy having the entire world know he was my lover! You act like it's some kind of dark secret!"  
  
Seiji took a deep, calming breath. "You know as well as I that my family . . ."  
  
"Oh yes I almost forgot." Ryo scoffed. "Your family comes before everything else. You'll wait till your grandfather chooses a wife for you then you'll drop him like a hot potato. Something I would never do. You would never go against your family and we all know it! So how can you ever say you truly love him? You're too self centered for that Seiji!"  
  
"How DARE you accuse me of not loving him!" Seiji said, uncharacteristically abandoning courtesy. "Touma is EVERYTHING to me!"  
  
"Even if that WAS true - which it obviously ISN'T - you sure have one hell of a way of SHOWING it!" Ryo responded. "I didn't know how Touma put up with you BEFORE you two were lovers - I sure as hell can't figure it out NOW!"  
  
"My relationship with Touma is none of your business." Seiji said dangerously.  
  
"My best friend most certainly is my business." Ryo replied. "And to be quite honest, I don't see what Touma ever saw in an ice cube like you. I guess the sex is amazing, huh?" Ryo resulted to lewdness, knowing full well that it always irked the blonde.  
  
"Ryo . . ." Seiji warned, his fists clenching and unclenching spasmodically as he tried to keep his temper in check, but Ryo knew he was already past the point of easy forgiveness and decided he might as well continue.   
  
Ryo knew he'd gone too far quite a while ago. He knew that he didn't believe what he was saying. Seiji was his friend, and he wasn't as cold as an outsider might think. He was intelligent, collected, reliable and - yes, he'd admit it - attractive, and he knew EXACTLY what Touma saw in him. He saw the warmth that Seiji so rarely exuded, yet it was there just under the surface, as much a part of him as anything else. Ryo knew all of this, but he just kept going, pushing the swordsman's eerie calm to it's limits. He wanted Seiji to snap - wanted him to give in and belt him. He would feel mollified. It would prove that Seiji wasn't really the person he so easily pretended to be.  
  
"Touma deserves better than someone like YOU."  
  
And Ryo succeeded.  
  
With Seiji, you could go a certain distance and receive almost no reaction, no matter what you did. But when Seiji's temper flared - which was rare as an eclipse - then look out. When Seiji was mad - I mean REALLY mad - there was almost nothing he wouldn't do. Whatever was learned about the blonde through prior observation was worth jack shit. Seiji would become just your average teenage boy, susceptible to all the emotional highs and lows that came with it. And he illustrated the fact by balling up a fist and punching Ryo. Hard.  
  
Ryo stumbled backwards and likely would have fallen if not for the wall of the house, which he leaned against for support. His hand went reflexively to his nose, not surprisingly finding blood dripping down over his upper lip. He blinked, once, at the sticky redness on his fingers, and then looked up to find staring back at him. His expression was one of shock, as if he had no idea what had just happened. He probably didn't.  
  
Touma, on the other hand, had a fair idea.  
  
The archer had been standing in the doorway since their raised voices became audible from inside the house. He had one hand resting casually against the door frame, the look on his face was strangely indifferent, only the barest hints of emotions rather than full-fledged anger or surprise. Shin stood behind him, and in contrast he looked completely overwhelmed. His aqua eyes were wide and sparkled with the very beginnings of what might be tears, eyes flickering from Ryo's blood face to the few flecks of blood on Seiji's hand.  
  
Suiko quickly pushed past Touma and the archer let himself be moved to the side as Shin moved to Ryo, grasping their leader's face between his palms to assess the damage. Ryo's tiger-blue eyes never left Seiji's violet-grey ones.  
  
Touma's eyes flickered over Seiji. His right hand was still clenched into a tight fist but it was the only sign of tension left in his body. He looked tired, and his gaze flickered only briefly to Touma's eyes before shying away guiltily.  
  
Touma sighed and then turned back inside without having said a word to either Ryo or Seiji.  
  
  
  
Kaiya sniffled as she leaned over the steering wheel of her jeep, arms crossed on the worn black faux leather. She watched the argument dispassionately from the driveway, going unnoticed by any of the players. She was sorely tempted to go and carry out her earlier threat to kick the sh*t out of Ryo, but decided that she wasn't really in the mood to anyway. She felt someone vindicated when Seiji hit him, pleased to see blood. She knew that Touma wouldn't want it to happen, but friends didn't do things like what Ryo had done, in her opinion.   
  
Only when she saw Touma disappear into the house did she exit her car, making sure to stay out of sight of the three that remained on the porch. She went around the back to avoid the rest of the household, wanting to see Touma without dealing with his friends. She most definitely was NOT in the mood.  
  
The back door, she knew, was almost always unlocked and today was no exception. She let herself into the kitchen silently, relieved that the only person in the room was the object of her search. His arms were crossed on the wood with his face buried behind them.  
  
"Hey." She said softly, her voice scratching painfully in her throat.  
  
He looked up slowly, surprised but not startled. He quickly took in her worn appearance and the rims of red around her eyes. "What happened to you?" He asked quietly as she came to sit on the tabletop beside him.  
  
"Nai got back from Tokyo today." She said.  
  
Touma didn't understand the significance of this revelation. If he girlfriend was finally home from her art show, shouldn't Kaiya be overjoyed? "And?"  
  
"I wish she hadn't told me." Kaiya choked, a single tears sliding down her pale cheek. "But she did. Confessed right away. So flippant about it too, as if it didn't mean anything. As if she thought it wouldn't really bother me."  
  
Touma had the distinct feeling he knew where this was going. "She cheated on you?" He guessed hesitantly.  
  
"With a guy!!" Kaiya exclaimed. "She cheated on me with a guy!! With a girl would have been bad enough, but I mean . . ." She buried her face in her hands, her voice sounding muffled. "What if she decides that she wants a boyfriend? What if I'm not good enough, Touma?"  
  
Touma sighed, leaning his head in his hand, his elbow on the table, regarding his friend with empathy. "Well if you ask me, guys are more trouble than they're worth."  
  
Kaiya half snorted, half sobbed. She rubbed at her nose, irritating the already raw skin. "We make quite a pair, don't we?" She said with dry humor.  
  
Touma half smiled. "Yeah. Something like that."  
  
Suddenly she jumped to her feet. "Touma. Let's go somewhere."  
  
He blinked. "Like where?"  
  
"I don't know. Just somewhere far away where we don't have to deal with sh*t. Just the two of us. Not tell anyone where we're going, just disappear. Just like that."  
  
Touma blinked at the violet haired girl for a minute as if she were mad, and then he slowly nodded.  
  
"Okay."

[][1][][2][][3][][4]

   [1]: theuniverse7.htm
   [2]: http://www.envy.nu/koutenmegami/tsfics.htm
   [3]: mailto:djinn_maxwell@tenku.zzn.com
   [4]: theuniverse9.htm



	10. When We Two Parted

The Universe - Chapter Nine

The Universe  
Chapter Nine - When We Two Parted  
By Djinn Hashiba-Maxwell  
  
**Djinn**: Dear lord, what have I done. *shakes head*  
  
Incidentally, I omitted the third stanza of Byron's 'When We Two Parted'.  
  
****

__

When we two parted  
In silence and tears,  
Half broken-hearted  
To sever for years,  
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,  
Colder thy kiss;  
Truly that hour foretold  
Sorrow to this.  
  
The dew of the morning  
Sunk chill on my brow-----  
It felt like the warning  
Of what I feel now.  
Thy vows are all broken,  
And light is thy fame;  
I hear thy name spoken,  
And share in its shame.  
  
In secret we met-----  
In silence I grieve  
That thy heart could forget,  
Thy spirit deceive  
If I should meet thee  
After long years,  
How should I greet thee?-----  
With silence and tears.  
  
Lord Byron   
When we Two Parted   
  
****  
  
"Yukiko-obasan?" Kaiya called, her voice echoing in the large house. She turned back to Touma who was standing in the doorway and shrugged. "She's not here." She said needlessly.  
  
"Obviously. So where is she?" Touma replied, leaning against the doorjamb.  
  
"Dunno. Auntie Yukiko is notoriously flighty. Looks like we have the house to ourselves." She winked teasingly at him, her good nature returning now that she was a good sixty miles from the source of her problems. "I hope you can control yourself, blue." She said as she disappeared into the kitchen.  
  
Touma took the opportunity to look around the foyer. The house rivaled the Yagyuu mansion in size, three stories and - on a rough estimate - probably upwards of twenty rooms. The foyer and front room both had high ceilings, the second floor having a balcony that overlooked the open space. The decorating was done in darkly stained wood and tasteful shades of tan and brown. Even Seiji would have been impressed.  
  
Touma grimaced as if there were a bad taste in his mouth. He couldn't believe the way that Seiji and Ryo had been behaving. He was sure that Ryo had provoked his lover quite a bit to get Seiji mad enough to hit him, but still . . .  
  
"Hey, we've got a note!" Kaiya called from the kitchen. "Kaiya, if you show up, feed neko-chan." The purple-haired girl giggled. "Oh she knows me sooooo well. Where is that Satan spawn she calls a cat anyway?" Kaiya reappeared in the hallway for a second before disappearing through another doorway. Touma could hear her ascending the stairs.  
  
"Is this the house you grew up in?" Touma called in what he deduced to be Kaiya's general direction. She had been orphaned at the age of four, her Aunt Yukiko was her guardian. Touma had never met the woman, but apparently Kaiya's overly cheery and exceptionally spontaneous demeanor was learned from her.  
  
"Nah, Auntie Yukiko just stays here during the summer. I come up most weekends to putter around. That probably why she knew to leave the note." Kaiya's voice drifted down over the balcony. "Here neko neko neko . . . "  
  
THIS was a summer house? Touma had known that Kaiya's guardian was not poor, but he had never realized that she came from such a wealthy background.  
  
"DAMN, Kaiya. Next time you offer to loan me money, I'm gonna take you up on it! You never told me you were loaded!"  
  
He could hear Kaiya's laugh. "Well really now. How do you think I pay for me and Nai's . . ." He voice suddenly trailed off at her girlfriend's name, and Touma could picture her scowl. He could imagine how Kaiya felt right now. Society didn't exactly approve of relationships like the ones they had, and Touma himself often worried that Seiji might leave him for a girl. It just seemed like he couldn't compete with the other gender, how he had landed Seiji was a mystery to him.  
  
And what information he had garnered seemed to suggest that Nai had just come home and said 'Oh koi, by the way - I slept with a guy while I was in Tokyo. And it's not as good as I remembered.'  
  
God, if Nai wasn't a girl Touma would have hunted her down and beaten the crap out of her by now. How she could be so callous towards Kaiya he'd never know. For all her bravado, Kaiya had been badly hurt by Nai, and Touma was beginning to think that Nai might be more like her older sister than he'd originally thought.  
  
"AHA!! GOTCHA!!" There was a sound of someone jumping on the second floor, then a long plaintive meow. Touma blinked as Kaiya appeared on the second floor balcony, cradling a small black and white tabby. "Found her!" Kaiya exclaimed triumphantly. "Touma, I'd like you to meet the devil." She said, holding the cat out at arms length. "Her name is Isis."  
  
Touma cocked his head at her. "So the devil is a cat. And it's female."  
  
"Well I think it only takes the form of a cat. And as for the female part, was there ever any doubt?" Kaiya said with a wink.  
  
Touma shook his head slightly. "Kaiya, when was the last time I told you that you were certifiably insane?"  
  
"Half an hour ago, when I said that guy with the walker was worth ten points if I hit him head on." Kaiya replied. "And really, you don't have to repeat it. I'm aware that I'm nuts. But you're the one that's upset that two hot guys are fighting over you. That's most girls' dream." She disappeared from sight, heading for the stairs back down to the first floor, never releasing the cat.  
  
Touma snorted at that. "I'm not most girls." He replied. "Is that YOUR dream?"  
  
There was a smirk in her voice. "My dream involves two girls mud wrestling naked over who gets to be seme in our three-way." She responded.  
  
"And here I thought Nai was the one that was into kink." Touma winced inwardly as the words slipped out before he could take them back. There was a long, pregnant pause where the only sound was Kaiya's feet on the stairs. "Touma thought it better not to call any further attention to his words by apologizing for them. Finally Nai appeared, her face unsmiling but not the pale, grey color it became when she was fretting or upset.  
  
"Kai . . ."  
  
"Come on, Touma-chan. Let's go see what Auntie Yukiko has to eat around here." Kaiya cut him off, dumping the cat unceremoniously to the floor.  
  
Touma gratefully allowed Kaiya to change the subject, and followed her into the brightly colored kitchen.  
  
****  
  
"I'm not sorry, so don't expect me to say that I am." Seiji said, arms crossed as he leaned back against the doorjamb, his cool, unconcerned voice returning. Shin didn't even dignify that with a glance, tilting Ryo's head back as he held a soft, damp cloth to his bloody nose.  
  
It was about that time that Shuu lumbered down the stairs, looking absurdly pleased with himself. The grin however faded when he saw the scene played out before him.  
  
"What happened to him?" He asked Seiji, jerking his thumb at Ryo. The blonde merely shrugged and looked away.  
  
"Seiji hit him." Shin supplied. Removing the cloth to check if Ryo's nose was still bleeding.  
  
Shuu blinked. " . . . why? Just 'cos he's got a thing for Touma?"  
  
Three pairs of eyes suddenly went wide, staring at him in total shock.  
  
"What?!? Why does everyone think I'm completely clueless??" He demanded.  
  
Ryo rubbed as his nose a little, trying to get it partially unstuffed. "Sorry man." He said, sounding somewhat embarrassed. "It's just that . . . well usually, you kinda are."  
  
"You're one to talk . . ." Shuu grumbled as he headed for the refrigerator. Suddenly his head snapped up and he looked around the room. "Hey, speaking of blue-boy, where is he? I thought I heard him get up earlier . . ."  
  
"Hai, he probably went off to clear his head." Seiji said calmly. "I wouldn't worry. If he's really late I'll call Kaiya." Seiji had come to accept that fact that Touma needed time to be alone long before they were together.  
  
Despite the fact that Seiji had belted him, there seemed to be no tension between Kourin and Rekka now. Seiji was not throwing his ice-glare at their leader, and Ryo was not scowling. Maybe him getting thwaped by Seiji had been a good thing.  
  
****  
  
"Lessee . . . I know Auntie has some liquor around her somewhere . . . she's nothing if not well stocked." Kaiya said, chewing on a nectarine all the while.  
  
Touma shrugged as he opened the kitchen cabinets one by one. He'd been drinking a lot more as of late, but at least if Kaiya was here he could justify it as social drinking. Besides, it's not as if he didn't have a good reason to be drunk.  
  
"Damn!! Where is it?" Kaiya demanded out loud. Touma turned to see her take a huge bite out of the ripe fruit in her hand, a trail of juice trickling down her chin. Her pierced tongue deftly flickered out to catch it before it fell.  
  
Touma felt a pang of . . . something . . . and blinked in surprise. Kaiya wore no lip-ring since the unfortunate affair with Lin, and at the moment the two silver rings in her eyebrow seemed charming, the gilded stud in her nose sparkling exotically. She wore no make-up, not that Kaiya ever NEEDED make-up, but she wore it just the same. At least most of the time she did. She looked better without it, her impish nature showing through more easily.  
  
Jesus Christ! Touma shook himself. He couldn't believe he had just appraised Kaiya like that. Rather desperately he went back to searching for the booze.

[][1][][2][][3][][4]

   [1]: theuniverse8.htm
   [2]: http://www.envy.nu/koutenmegami/tsfics.htm
   [3]: mailto:djinn_maxwell@tenku.zzn.com
   [4]: theuniverse10.htm



	11. Cinquains for Rocky

The Universe - Chapter Ten ****

The Universe  
Chapter Ten - Cinquains for Rocky  
By Djinn Hashiba-Maxwell  
  
**Djinn**: And the plot thickens . . . oh and I apologize in advance for the amount of dialect. There's a lot of drunk-speak coming up.

****

You want  
a word that means  
separating two thing  
by bringing them closer together. "What for?"  
she asks.  
  
"Doesn't   
make sense." It does,  
you tell her, when one speaks   
about relationships--about  
you two.  
  
Cinquains for Rocky   
Janet Holmes   
  
****  
  
It was barely nine when Seiji's worry got the best of him. He tried to dial calmly, but his hands shook slightly and it was hard to get the number right. He knew that if Touma had stayed out this long he must be either really upset or really pissed over what he had witnessed. Either that or something was dreadfully wrong. Despite it's implication, he desperately prayed for either of the two former choices.  
  
The phone at Kaiya's apartment rang once . . . twice . . . thrice . . . Seiji felt himself beginning to worry, just at there was clicking noise indicating that the receiver had been picked up. there was no answer, but he could hear the slight sound of someone breathing.  
  
"Kaiya?" Seiji asked nervously.  
  
There was a pause. " . . . who is this?" Definitely not Kaiya's voice, which meant it must be her girlfriend.  
  
"This is Date Seiji. I was wondering if Touma had by chance stopped by there?" He said, sounding hopeful.  
  
Another pause. " . . . you mean Kaiya never showed up there? That's where I'd figured she'd gone . . ."  
  
Seiji suddenly felt a terrible sense of foreboding. "You don't have any idea where he might be?" He demanded.  
  
"Are you kidding?? I don't even know where KAIYA is!" Nai replied rather shrilly. "I thought she'd gone to see Touma! You're saying you think Touma came to see her??"  
  
"Well obviously not if he didn't stop by there . . . maybe they just met up at Acropolis." Seiji said, more to reassure himself than the other girl.  
  
"Nuh-uh, cuz'iz I checked." Nai's usually sweet and refined voice sounded strange, she was either drunk or very upset. Or both. "And I didn't see her 'n I didn't see Touma either, cuz they both got that hair, ya know." A soft sniffle. Nai was crying, or had been recently.  
  
Seiji was a bit worried now. "Do you have any idea if they might have met up somewhere else?"  
  
"Kaiya's obaasan has a house in the hills, but I dunno where it is." Nai responded.  
  
"Thanks anyway." Seiji said, his voice sounding hollow.  
  
**  
**  
"Aw g'wan."  
  
"No, f'real."  
  
Touma unfurled one finger from around his bottle of Bacardi to point at Kaiya. "I refuse -" his slur made it sound more like 'refushe' - "to believe that you got Nai to wear THAT."  
  
Kaiya nodded, contradicting his statement. "Yup. Thong, leather gloves and all."  
  
"Aw man that musta been a RIOT!" Touma giggled, obviously well into the realm of drunkenness.  
  
"Yeah well it was fun but I wuz showering 'lone for a while."  
  
"I know the feeling." Touma said, tilting his bottle back. When no liquid emerged he held it away form his face and squinted at it, as if he thought it was a machine that was broken and might be fixed. Finally he shrugged and lobbed the bottle at the trash can, where it landed accurately, shattering only once it was inside. "I think I'm drunk." Touma said somberly, as if revealing the greatest truth of all mankind.  
  
Kaiya giggled. "Really? Cuz I know you're drunk."  
  
"Yeah? Well it was your idea!"  
  
"What was?"  
  
" . . . I don't remember. Ask me again in a minute."  
  
Kaiya giggled some more. "'Kay."  
  
Touma crawled up onto the couch beside his friend with some difficulty, eventually ending up sprawled across half of the couch with his head in Kaiya's lap. He hiccuped against her fishnet-clad thigh. "You smell nice . . ." He murmured, sounding stupid and very, very young. Kaiya let out a giggle and then sighed, running black-painted nails through Touma's short blue hair.  
  
"I bet Nai is worried." Kaiya observed, sounding a little more level.  
  
"Aw, screw Nai." Touma mumbled incoherently.  
  
"I'd like to." Kaiya replied, before realizing what she'd said and giggling some more. "Okay. Drunk. Real drunk. Bedtime."  
  
"Bedtime?" Touma repeated, turning to cast cloudy blue eyes on Kaiya. "Why bedtime? It's only . . ." He lifted his arm up over his eyes and squinted at his wrist for several seconds before finally realizing that he wasn't wearing a watch. "It's not late."  
  
"It's late." Kaiya heaved herself up off the couch, swaying on her feet slightly as Touma giggled from where he had fallen on the floor. Kaiya sighed, being the more sober by a few swigs of burning liquor, and heaved him back up onto the couch, before swinging one of his arms around his shoulder. "Oof. You're heavy."  
  
"You're skinny." Touma said, finding his sea legs and managing to stumble up the stairs without her help. "Hey Kai-chan? Which was my room?"  
  
"Dunno . . ."  
  
"I guess I'll figger it out . . ."  
  
*~*~*  
  
"Touma still not back?"  
  
Shuu looked up to see Nasutei looking down on him, worry in her green eyes. She had judged, quite rightly, that Ryo was not in the mood to be comforted, Seiji had already left to go check Acropolis for his lover, and Shin had holed up in his room hours ago. So, her vaguely maternal instincts being smothered, she decided that Shuu would have to do.  
  
"No." Shuu answered succinctly. "And it's just not like Touma to disappear like that, you know? He should have at least called by now . . . he must realize how worried we are."  
  
"Touma can be flighty." Nasutei reassured him. "And Kaiya doesn't exactly strike me as the responsible sort, from what I've heard."  
  
"Yeah." Shuu admitted. "She seemed a little . . . iffy. But still . . ."  
  
"Knowing Touma, tonight is going to involve a lot of alcohol, and that is not conducive to checking in. I'm sure he's fine, he can take care of himself." She went on, as much to comfort herself as Shuu.  
  
"Nas . . ." Shuu sighed slightly, shifting his position so he could throw an arm around her shoulders. "**Normally** Touma can take care of himself. But we both know that when it comes to people he cares about, he's notoriously irrational. And I wouldn't count on that raver chick to put some sense into him."  
  
"Gee, Shuu, you couldn't have just let me delude myself?" She murmured, curling into his side as if it were something she had always done. She had seen a new side of Shuu the night before, something beyond the bravado and strength. He had seen her hurting, and he had taken care of her. She was beginning to hope she might see more of this new side of Shuu.  
  
The warrior of Kengo sighed and pulled away slightly. "Shouldn't you be talking to Ryo?"  
  
She laughed silently, putting an arm around the broad waist and tugging him closer to her as she curled up onto the couch. "No." She replied simply.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Kaiya threw the back of a hand to her forehead as the light streaming through the windows struck her eyes. "Damn. Hangovers suck." She muttered unnecessarily to herself. "Coffeeeee . . ." She rolled over, pushing the blankets off of her as she did so.  
  
She ran into something.  
  
Blinking quickly and cursing the man that invented rum, she slowly recognized what she had run into.  
  
Touma?  
  
More correctly, a very naked, half awake, bleary-eyed and confused Touma who blinked at her, looking as stupefied as she felt. "Kai?" He murmured uncertainly. He pressed the heel of a hand over his eye. "Shit, what a headache."  
  
"Touma." Kaiya said, her voice a squeak. "You aren't wearing any clothes."  
  
"Neither are you." Touma replied irritably, and then suddenly he realized what he had just said. He looked up at Kaiya, eyes wide, and she stared back at him, aghast. "Neither are you." He repeated n shock. "Kaiya, tell me you remember what happened last night."  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"All right, then just tell me that there's an innocent reason for why we're both naked in the same bed."  
  
*TBC . . .*


	12. Give Me One Good Reason

****

The Universe  
Chapter Eleven - Give Me One Good Reason  
By Djinn Hashiba-Maxwell

  
  
Mom and Dad, they don't quite understand it  
All the kids, they laugh as if they planned it.  
Why do girls wanna pierce their nose  
And walk around in torn pantyhose, oh yeah  
  
I like the ones who say they listen to the punk rock  
I like the kids who fight against how they were brought up  
They hate the trends and think it's fucked to care  
It's cool when they piss people off with what they wear, oh yeah.  
  
So give me one good reason  
Why we need to be like that  
Kids will have fun and all that  
They don't want to and don't fit in . . .  
  
*~ Give Me One Good Reason ~*  
*~ Blink 182 ~*  
  


Touma was irritated.  
  
No. That was not the right word. 'Irritated' was not the right word at all; it suggested more anger than unease. Touma was not angry, not at anyone other than himself, anyway. No, what he was, he decided, was agitated. 'Agitated'. That was a good word. Let's start over.  
  
Touma was agitated.  
  
After all, it wasn't every day that he woke up in a mansion in the middle of nowhere, in a strange bed, next to a startlingly gorgeous and completely nude girl.  
  
_K'so! Next to an overly pierced lesbian who he'd known for years!  
_  
Damn it, get it straight, Hashiba.  
  
_Straight? You're gay and she's a lesbian and you want to 'get it **straight**'?_  
  
Damn he needed a drink.  
  
"Stop fucking pacing, you're making me dizzy! You need a drink." Kaiya snapped, coming back from the kitchen with a bottle of dark, bitter liquid.  
  
"I don't want a damn drink! In case you forget, that's how this whole thing started!" He snapped. "Liquor does not solve everything, Kaiya!"  
  
Kaiya sighed and wiped at her eyes with the back of one hand, as if she were tired. "Liquor solves **nothing**, Touma. And it causes more problems than it's worth. But it helps me not have to deal with things I don't know how to quantify." She took a glass off a shelf and poured a rather small amount of rum into it, then sat on the couch, leaning into the plush cushions as far as she could and sipping the alcohol delicately. Touma found himself, quite unintentionally, noticing the way the light shimmered on her wet lips.  
  
"I need to get out of here."  
  
Kaiya grinned. "That makes two of us, babe."   
  
"Kaiya." Touma said, rather desperately, "Do you remember **any**thing that happened last night?"  
  
She grinned wider. "Not an ever-lovin' thing, dear. And too bad too, cuz I'm sure there was a **lot** to rememba'."  
  
"Kaiya, be serious." Touma growled. "This is no laughing matter."  
  
"Really? Because, not to be overly casual or anything dear, but I think it's absolutely **hilarious**." She dipped her finger into her rum and swirled it around the lip of her glass. "I mean, think about it. I'm not the least bit attracted to guys and you're not the least bit attracted to me, yet when we're completely pissed we sleep together!"  
  
Touma didn't think this was the time to admit that he actually **was** rather attracted to Kaiya, and indeed almost always had been. Touma wasn't entirely certain that it possible to dislike Kaiya, unless of course you were a bigot, like Nai's sister. But Touma was obviously not a bigot, and aside from Seiji he really did not consider himself gay. It's a cliché to say 'it's only him', but it was - it didn't matter to Touma that Seiji was a man, just that he was **Seiji**. His comrade, his ally, the person he could trust with his very life without the slightest hesitation.  
  
The thought of Seiji rightfully gave Touma pause. What would Seiji say if he discovered that Touma had slept with Kaiya? No - not discovered. Touma would tell him, in his own words, under his own circumstances. It was the only possible way to lessen the damage.  
  
It couldn't hurt that Seiji knew Kaiya for a ferocious bull dyke.  
  
"This is just BIZARRE." Touma groaned, finally giving in and collapsing on the couch next to Kaiya. He supposed that he ought to feel weirder than he did about sleeping with Kaiya, but he just couldn't bring up any self-disgust. This was **Kaiya**, Kaiya would never judge him, never think less of him for **any**thing. Okay, yeah, Touma hadn't slept with a girl since . . . yeah, since the sixteen year old fling with Natsuko Miyuki on a visit home. (The girl had a crush on him since the day she moved in, and in the confusion he had been feeling after the youjakai, and what he now knew to have been strongly concealed affection for his best friend, he had slept with her one night, in her room, with her parents two rooms down making dinner.) Still, girls were what he was - generally speaking - attracted to. So It wasn't **that** odd that he'd entertained the occasional impure thought about Kaiya, but that he had acted on them without even the benefit of **remembering** them . . .  
  
"Touma, stop thinking so loud! You're giving me a headache." Kaiya complained. "Look, never happened, right? What happened here stays here, okay?"  
  
Touma was shaking his head before she even finished. "Kaiya, I can't lie to Seiji, and you're the one that told me I shouldn't run away from things like this."  
  
"Bein' kissed by your best male friend is **slightly** different from sleepin' with your best female one." Kaiya muttered. "Lesbianism notwithstanding."  
  
"I **have** to tell him, Kaiya. I have to."  
  
The purple-haired girl sighed softly, leaning her head back against the couch cushions. "You're gonna be the death of me, Touma-chan." She muttered in a tone laced with affection. "You don't understand. Nai slept with a guy, that's why I'm here, remember? What's she going to think if she finds out I slept with **you**?" She raised her head to look at the boy beside her. "I'll tell you what she'll think - petty revenge. And it'll sound pretty damn plausible. And Touma-chan - I couldn't stand for Nai to think I was shallow enough to use my best friend to make her jealous."  
  
Abruptly, Kaiya stood. She turned so that she was standing over Touma, the light behind her causing her hair to glow in an ethereal halo around her pale, momentarily piercing-free face.   
  
"I would **never** do that, Touma." Kaiya said, desperately needing the boy to acknowledge that he understood, that he trusted her. "Not to you, not to her . . . **NEVER**."  
  
Touma was possessed by the sudden urge to hug her. "I know that, Kaiya." He said easily, meaning it. "And if Nai doesn't, then I don't know what the hell you're doing with her in the first place."  
  
Kaiya's face fell, and suddenly she looked very near tears. "These days, I don't know how if she cares about me at all . . . I mean, I know I'm nothing special, but still, I thought that if I loved her enough, that could keep things from getting completely f*cked up . . ."  
  
"Stop it, Kaiya." Touma said suddenly, his voice harsh. "Just stop it. If Nai doesn't love you then she's the one that's f*cked up, not you. And don't start in with this 'I'm worthless' bullshit. It's **so** not you and we both know it's not true."  
  
Kaiya, quite unexpectedly, laughed aloud. "What would I do without you, Touma-chan?" She asked rhetorically.  
  
Touma replied, quite seriously, "I hope you never have to find out."  
  
  
  
"I'm home." Touma said softly, feeling obliged to announce his presence, but not actually wanting anyone to know that he was back yet. Kaiya had protested at leaving him to go home alone, but only at first. She knew that one of the first things Touma would do - in order to appease his conscience - would be tell Seiji every detail (those he could remember, anyway) about what had happened over their weekend. Kaiya didn't fear a lot, but a pissed off Seiji was something she did not want to experience firsthand.  
  
"TOUMA!!"  
  
Unfortunately, despite his stealthy entry, he **was** living with a group of former warriors. Good hearing came with the package.  
  
It was Shuu who burst out of the living room and grabbed him by the shoulders, giving him one good shake before releasing him. "Where have you **been**? Everyone's been worried sick!"  
  
"Er . . . ah . . . I went to the, er, mountains with Kaiya . . ." Touma tried to give him a typical smirk and chuckle, but was still a little too rattled and entirely too worried over what he was going to say to Seiji. The whole affair with Ryo only three days past and now **this**?  
  
"Geez, Seiji's been a wreck! You better go right upstairs and tell him you're here." Shuu scooted him along to the foot of the stairs, motioning for him to ascend. Touma hesitated, eyes searching pleadingly for anything to delay him, but nothing presented itself. Slowly, like a man being led to the gallows, he ascended the stairs.  
  
  
  
Seiji barely raised his head at the knock on the door. "Not now, Shin." He called. He had a good mope going, and he wasn't inclined to have it ruined by his auburn haired ally.  
  
There was a lengthy paused, and then a sigh. "Not Shin." Touma's voice said.  
  
Seiji was off the bed and had the door flung open in about half the time it took for him to say the words. In a heartbeat he hand the blue haired boy firmly in his arms, clutching him as if he might never hold him again. "**_Kami_**, Touma, where have you been??" Seiji demanded, not releasing his hold on the archer in the slightest.  
  
"If I could . . . get some air . . ." Touma laughed slightly, nervously.  
  
Seiji released him just enough that he could look at the other boy. "Touma . . ." he said, reading the other boy's expression easily, ". . . what's wrong?"  
  
Touma looked away, wondering how he was supposed to tell this. "Seiji, I . . ." first things first, he supposed. "I was in the mountains with Kaiya. But while we there, something happened." He whispered.  
  
Seiji's brow furrowed for a moment, as if trying to understand what Touma was saying by this. "Was there an accident? Was Kaiya hurt?" He ventured, concerned. Touma let out a nervous laugh.   
  
"No. Kaiya is fine. It wasn't that kind of something." He let out another choking laugh. "Oh Seiji, I wouldn't blame you if you never spoke to me again. First Ryo and now . . ."  
  
The mention of Ryo made something click in Seiji's brain. He took a step back and blinked in surprise. "You're not saying . . ." He shook his head, as if trying to make the thought more clear, ". . . you and Kaiya?"  
  
"We were both really upset and we decided to get really drunk and then . . . oh god, I don't even know what happened." Touma was desperately trying not to cry. The look of complete and utter shock on Seiji's face was too much for him. "All I know is, we woke up together . . . gods Seiji, I was completely pissed, I don't even know how it happened . . ."  
  
Seiji blinked blankly a few more times, and then he did something that took Touma completely off guard.  
  
He laughed.  
  
Seiji suddenly threw his head back and let out a peal of easy baritone laughter. Touma was abstractly offended. Here he was, trying to explain a transgression like a good little boyfriend, and Seiji was **laughing** at him. Then it occurred to him that Seiji laughing was not Seiji telling him he never wanted to see him again, and he relaxed a bit.  
  
"I fail to see what is so funny." Touma said dryly.  
  
Seiji grabbed Touma without warning, tugged him close and sealed his mouth over Touma's, so unexpected was the action that Touma forgot to even close his eyes. Strong arms held him against a warm body and Touma desperately struggled to remember what it was that he was so worried about to begin with.  
  
"I forgive you." Seiji breathed against his slightly parted lips when they finally came up for air. "That's what you wanted to hear, right?"  
  
Touma swallowed. "Yes . . ." He said uncertainly, before Seiji's lips came down on his again.  
  
It was the last coherent word spoken that night.


	13. I Miss You

****

The Universe  
Chapter Twelve - I Miss You  
By Djinn Hashiba-Maxwell  
  
**Djinn**: Kaiya and Nai get their own little interlude in this chapter! They have a "moment"! ^_^  
  
  
  
To see you when I wake up  
is a gift I didn't think could be real.  
To know that you feel the same as I do  
is a three-fold, utopian dream.  
You do something to me that I can't explain.  
So would I be out of line if I said,  
I miss you.  
  
*~ Incubus ~*  
*~ I Miss You ~*  
  


"Seiji?" Touma called, and the blonde mumbled something tired and incoherent in response. Touma, however, was not to be put off. There was something he had to know. "Seiji, I need to talk to you."  
  
The blonde heaved a martyred sigh and rolled onto his side. "What is it, Touma?" He asked with a tired smile.  
  
"I told you that Kaiya and I . . ." Touma couldn't form the actual words and besides, Seiji knew what he meant, "and you didn't care." He paused. "I mean, you hit Ryo for kissing me, but Kaiya . . . and you just laugh?"  
  
Seiji chuckled under his breath. "Touma. I didn't hit Ryo for kissing you." At Touma's skeptical look he held up his hands in defeat. "I didn't say that wasn't part of it. But Ryo accused me of acting like I don't love you. An I suppose . . ." Seiji sighed, eyes darting away. "I suppose I was afraid he might be right." He leaned close to Touma, violet eyes burning into indigo. "Touma do you feel like I don't love you? Would you like us to hold hands in public and things like that?"  
  
Touma was surprised by the question. He had accepted that Seiji was a very private person long before they ever got together. Now Seiji was offering to change for him? Touma shook his head slightly. "Seiji, I don't care what Ryo said to you. You don't need to prove your love to me." Then he laughed. "Honestly, I'd feel weird holding hands and all that lovey-dovey crap, wouldn't you? I thought only girls liked that stuff."  
  
Seiji's smile looked vaguely relieved.  
  
"But Seiji, you didn't answer me." Touma persisted. "Why didn't it bother you, me and Kaiya?"  
  
Seiji seemed to think about that for a minute. "If I said that I was so glad to know you were safe, I didn't care what you'd been doing, would you believe me?" He asked.  
  
Touma smirked. "Only a little."  
  
Seiji gave a brief chuckle. "Touma . . . you're very close to Kaiya. When you want to get away from us, she's the person you go to. You trust her, you rely on her. You love her. Right?"  
  
Touma hesitated a moment, then nodded. "But . . ."  
  
"But it's not the type of love you feel for Shin, Shuu, and Ryo, and it's not the same type of love you feel for me." Seiji looked at him. "Right?"  
  
"Right." Touma agreed.  
  
"Touma . . . the reason I laughed is because I was surprised, that's all. And the reason that I'm not angry is because I **know** you, and I know that that's not the way you feel for Kaiya. That's why it only could've happened when you were piss drunk. I don't begrudge you your friendship with Kaiya, and I'm not jealous of it, either. Ryo I **was** jealous of, because I thought he was trying to take you away from me. He said he'd be willing to do as much. That would **never** be Kaiya's intent." Seiji traced his fingertips gently down the side of his lover's face. "But Touma, there is something we need to talk about."  
  
Touma sat up slightly. "What?"  
  
"You've been drinking a lot lately." Seiji said. "And Touma, I really don't like it. I mean, you're not even of legal drinking age." ([I'm not sure what the drinking age is in Japan, but I'm almost certain it's 18 at the **_oldest_**, so pretend this isn't completely incorrect, 'kay?])  
  
"I don't . . ."  
  
"And don't tell me you don't drink too much, or that you can hold your liquor or something like that. Touma you've proven now what drinking does to you, are you telling me that you still don't plan to stop?"  
  
"Seiji, this was just one time . . ." Touma began.  
  
"It's not just one time. When we first go together, where did I find you? Acropolis. What were you doing? Drinking. When Ryo kissed you, where did it happen? Acropolis. What were you doing? Drinking. This time, where were you? Kaiya's house in the mountains. A nice change of scenery. But you were STILL drinking. KAMI, Touma, even after Ryo kissed you and you went to Kaiya's apartment, the first thing you did was have a beer!"  
  
There was a pause. "Do you think I'm a drunk, Seiji?" Touma asked.  
  
"No." Seiji replied firmly, knowing by the look on Touma's face that he was recalling his father's drinking binges from when he was a child. "I don't think you're a drunk, Touma. But I think that if you don't cut back on you're drinking, you might become one." Seiji cradled Touma's face between his palms. "I don't want that to happen to you, and I know you don't want it to happen either. This isn't good for you, Touma, and you know it."  
  
Touma blinked, and looked away. "I'm not an alcoholic, Seiji. It's just that when things get too stressed . . ."  
  
"Then prove it to me, Touma, okay?" Seiji replied. "Just promise that you won't drink for . . . a month. Is that so terribly much to ask?"  
  
Touma decided that this conversation had taken a decidedly bizarre turn. Sure, he drank, but it had never really caused him any problems until now. And it's not like he went and slept with some complete stranger - it had been **Kaiya** for Christ's sake! And Seiji - asking him too quit drinking, it wasn't like he had a **problem**, so . . .  
  
He paused.  
  
. . . so why should it bother him not to drink for a month, presuming that he didn't have a problem?  
  
Touma sighed, wondering for a moment if Seiji was right. "All right Seiji. But only to show you that you're wrong."  
  
Seiji smiled slightly, pulling Touma back into his arms with a sharp tug. "I love it when you prove me wrong." He murmured against Touma's lips, before kissing them.

"Nai-chan?" Kaiya called tentatively, just barely poking her head around the door. The front room was empty, so the violet-haired girl deemed it safe to enter. She closed the door behind her with ridiculous care, making sure that it didn't make a sound. She slipped her shoes off in the alcove, putting on a pair of house slippers and padding almost silently into the kitchen. There were a few dirty plates in the sink, but other than that the place was spotless. It had been rather messy when she left, but Nai tended to clean when she was stressed.  
  
_At least this means she felt guilty._ Kaiya thought, and then cursed herself for the bitter thought. She loved Nai - she wasn't about to end their relationship, but she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to look at her lover the same way, knowing that she had done something like that.  
  
Kaiya sighed softly to herself and padded into the den. It too was spotless, in fact, the couch pillows which had typically been strewn about the room had been arranged neatly, in order of hue. Kaiya's red pillows were on the right side of the couch, Nai's blue were on the left.  
  
Feeling a bit braver, Kaiya ventured into the rear bedroom. She could hear the soft rasp of Nai's breathing coming from the darkened room. Not wanting to wake her (erstwhile?) lover, Kaiya only turned on the desk lamp, providing only enough illumination to see the silhouette of the thin girl underneath a single blanket on the wide double bed. Kaiya took a few careful steps closer, enough to notice that Nai had snitched her favorite bed pillow, the one she loved since it always smelled of her shampoo, and the other girl was sleeping with her face practically buried in it. Kaiya felt some of her righteous indignation melt away at the pitiable sight. She sat herself down on the edge of the bed and shook Nai's shoulder slightly.  
  
"Koi. Jaa, koishi!" She called softly, her voice a mere whisper.  
  
"Kai-chan . . ." Nai murmured, still immersed in some dream. "Iie . . . onegai . . . don't leave me . . ."  
  
Kaiya was a little worried by that response. Nai had always talked in her sleep, but mostly it was nonsense, red wine and cloves, nothing important. She shook Nai a little harder. "Jaa, Nai! I'm here. I'm not goin' anywhere."  
  
"Koibito, ai shiteru . . ." There were definitely tears dotting the pillow Nai slept against.  
  
Finally, Kaiya had had enough of it. She rolled Nai onto her back and gave the slight girl a good hard shake. Chocolate eyes flashed open, and the typically Asian girl gasped in a deep breath. She blinked, twice, before she recognized the form above her, and once she had, she gasped. "Kaiya-chan!" She shot up like a bullet, eyes wide in surprise and mild disbelief. "I was just dreaming . . ."  
  
"Hai, I know." Kaiya laughed, leaning back on the bed. "Who knew you were such a heavy sleeper, ne Nai-chan?" She joked easily. It was so easy to be relaxed with Nai. Even know, when they still had not resolved the fight they'd started before the weekend, she felt serene just being near the other girl.  
  
"Kaiya . . ." Nai breathed, a faint rim of tears shimmering in her eyes. Then she simply folded agaisnt her lover, arms around Kaiya's waist, pressing her face against the side of Kaiya's neck. "Koishi, this was all my fault. Baka, watakushi no baka. I love you, Kai-chan. Only you, always."  
  
Kaiya laughed slightly, her stomach muscles rolling against her lover. "I know that, babe. Nev'ah doubted it. But you gotta think before you do that sort thing."  
  
Nai was still crying. "I didn't mean to . . . he was at the exhibit, he bought one of my paintings, the only one I sold . . . and he asked me back for a drink . . . and I couldn't say no . . ." She sucked in a breath and sobbed some more.  
  
Kaiya ran a hand over her back soothingly. "It's okay, koishi, it's okay. Forgiven. Forgotten."  
  
Nai blinked up at her uncertainly. "Really?"  
  
"Really." Kaiya confirmed, and sealed it with a kiss.


End file.
